My Take On Grace... (Amy)

Joel 2:23

Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem!

Rejoice in the Lord your God!

For the rain he sends is an expression of his grace.

Grace is explained as God’s favor upon his people. God is promising us forgiveness when we allow him to intervene in our lives and fear nothing because of our faith in him. God does not promise his followers prosperity. When God pardons us, he restores our relationship with him. God promises to meet the deepest needs of those who love him by loving us, forgiving us, giving us purpose in life, and giving us a supportive community.

This was loosely taken from my New Living Translation bible that has a lot of helpful explanations of passages. I find it extremely helpful to have a “jumping off point” from scripture when discussing these things.

The important thing to note in this passage and explanation is how much of our relationship with God (and each other) depends on us reaching out. God is perpetually there, always. But in order to have a relationship with him, we must open our hearts and thoughts to him without any fear. God knows everything about us already, we cannot hide ourselves from Him. However, the depth of our relationship with God (and each other) depends on us. So when we come to God and each other with bare souls, open and raw in our pain, anguish, hurt and sadness, only then are we open to the GRACE (favor) of His love because we have reached out honestly and asked for Him to come into that hurt and help us heal. It is God’s grace that brings us to be honest and open and help heal each other through our own joys and pains. It is very important to know that God delivers his Grace in many forms and usually through the people and things we surround ourselves with. I liken this to Him using what He has here on earth to reach us. And again, it is up to us to pay attention. Pay attention to the flower that catches your eye on your walk, what can it teach you? Pay attention to the feeling you get when you are honest with someone and speak from your heart. Pay attention to the lessons you are being taught in the relationships you have with those you love.