An Unexpected Lesson
Posted by kathy on November 3rd, 2009. Filed under: Life, Random, The Real Me Challenge.
I haven’t been looking for a lesson on God’s grace. I didn’t think I needed a lesson on grace…until yesterday. My father in law was fired from his job earlier this year for reasons I’ll not specify here. But I will say that he was doing wrong things at his job and had been knowingly doing these things for many years. He wasn’t the only one, but still he was wrong. When his employer discovered the wrong doings, everyone involved was fired, denied unemployment, and revoked of privileges to work at similar companies in the country. Lawsuits are ensuing on both sides and the IRS and the feds are getting involved. Serious stuff, if you ask me.
Since July, he had gone from making a very comfortable amount of money to not being able to pay his bills. He has been selling prized sports memorabilia, collector coins, furniture, and anything else he can. He has been trying to pick up odd jobs here and there but nothing substantial. We had even heard rumblings that he had planned to move in with us (newly married in April) if he couldn’t pay his rent.
Last night he called my husband. Rent is due. Insurance is due. The money is a gone. The amount of money wasn’t huge, but all I could hear was it draining from my account. At first I became angry and told my husband we didn’t have the money to help. How dare he ask us for money? He could get a job if he wanted one! If he had saved his money instead of blowing it on junk, he wouldn’t have this problem right now. He doesn’t deserve the money! Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I don’t deserve God’s love. I don’t deserve forgiveness when I screw up. I don’t deserve the blessings He give me each and every day. I don’t deserve any of it, but He gives it so freely, so unconditionally, so lovingly.
My attitude changed in a split second. We decided to give him the money he needed (and a little extra) as well as a few groceries I had bought yesterday. Before we left to deliver our goods, I decided to check the mail. In the mail was a rebate I had forgotten about. It was for half the amount we had given to my father in law. God’s grace. My father in law is still in the wrong, but judgment is not my responsibilty. It’s my job to show grace, the same grace He gives me so freely each day.