GRACE UPON GRACE
“Would you like the 25 centimeter or the 35 centimeter broom head? And do you prefer the 3 meter or the 4 meter handle?” The helpful salesman held up the options, smiling as he waited for our decision.
For the past hour, my co-worker, Bridget, and I had been perusing row after row of buckets, mops, sponges, and cleaning solutions. Our task was to select sufficient supplies to stock our Bible school for the next two years. Countless decisions had to be made about size, amount, and quality of the items. My head was spinning with choices.
When Money Doesn’t Matter
The strangest thing about the whole experience was that money didn’t influence our decisions. If the salesman told us a particular type of toilet cleaner or window squeegee was the best, we took his word for it. We never once asked the cost. On this particular trip, price didn’t matter – because the bill had already been paid. The Christian owner of this well-stocked cleaning supplies shop had given us an extremely generous offer. He told us we could select all the supplies we needed for our ministry. He would pay for them himself.
Although I knew it was a voluntary donation, I still had a hard time accepting it. When offered a choice, I gravitated towards the smaller bottle of solution or the flimsier broom handle. I was hesitant to take full advantage of the owner’s offer. But the salesman who was helping us insisted that we should get the better quality options. I struggled with feeling like I was being greedy just for accepting what was being freely given!
As we drove home, Bridget said she felt like a princess today, selecting what she wanted from the shelves without thinking of the price. And suddenly it hit me – I am a daughter of the King! The God of the whole universe calls ME His beloved child and wants to shower me with His love, yet I’m turning away from Him, saying I don’t deserve His attention. Why do I have such a hard time receiving?
Grace
James 1:17 says “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” So our shopping spree today was really an outpouring of love from our Heavenly Father! Looking at our van stuffed with cleaning products we didn’t pay for, I had to laugh. So each time I clean the floors with our new microfiber swivel-head telescoping-handle mops… I’ll remember to receive with gratitude the good gifts God wants to give me!
“For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift heaped upon gift.”
John 1:16 (Amplified Bible)