Blessings of Grace

The magnitude of God’s blessings are overwhelming at times. That’s how I’ve been feeling recently. Although some of my excitement might be due to the multiple espresso shots running ramped  through my system after a three-hour cat nap last night, God’s blessings still abound. I shake my head whenever I take a moment to reflect on the extent of my brokenness… my selfish tendencies, my prideful thoughts, my perfect Christian façade that often takes me captive while I live in ignorance. I am human. No one will ever be able to convince me that the human race is inherently good, because even though I am “good” by the world’s standards, I often wake up overwhelmingly ashamed of myself. I constantly make decisions I regret, hurt the people I love most, and neglect to care for my neighbor. But somehow, God’s grace shines brighter than all of my shortcomings. He has blessed me to the point that I cannot fathom why He would do such things. I can only accept them with gratefulness and awestruck praise. Here I am, an upperclassman honors student at Cedarville University driving in the fast lane on what many would consider the road to success. I have friends who love me… friends who forgive me when I do something stupid, eat meals at off times to accommodate my hectic schedule, bring me coffee when I’m tired, and put encouraging notes in my mailbox. I have a family at home who will drop whatever they are doing to talk on the phone when I call. I don’t deserve it. 

I guess we’re all in the same situation, really. We’re all screwed up on the inside. It’s a part of the world we live in. Human nature. But by God’s grace, we can stand to live in harmony with one another. With God’s love, we can love one another even at our most unlovable moments. Through God’s eyes, we can see the beauty shine through all the ugliness surrounding us. Thank you, Jesus, for your grace. Thank you for your love. And thank you for making us beautiful when our best attempts yield only failure. Reflect on your blessings today... and allow yourself to be overwhelmed.