WFM...Conversations with Corinne: The Workings of God In Us Through Love and Grace

“Grace means God accepts me just as I am. He does

not require or insist that I measure up to someone else's

standard of performance. He loves me completely,

thoroughly, and perfectly. There's nothing I can

do to add or detract from that love.”

Mary Graham

What a wonderful concept! It means that his estimation of me is pure. Is not bogged down with the “what if’s” and “should of’s” that seem to torment me on a regular basis. He gives grace purely and freely. He is not like the lion tamer in the circus who holds up a fiery ring for the lion to jump through. He is not waiting for me to do something beyond my own ability something so incredibly amazing that would lead Him to think, “Well I think I'll give her a little bit of grace." She finally has proved herself worthy of my gifts. Then netted knowledge meant on
his part would lead Him to

untie his silken satchel grace flakes to let them fall down on me like snow.

I grew up in a belief system that said you had to earn grace. This was so daunting; because in spite of all good efforts a person has they invariably fall on their face from time to time. Then what do you do? Do you start at square one with nothing in your treasure box or do you give back some of your flakes as if God were a so-called “Indian Giver.” I know I preached decried here, but, but ever since I began to understand the concept of free gift of grace, I have been bowled over by the beauty of it. I don't have to do anything indaba love me just same. Amazing! God loves me this much!

I was at my Thursday night prayer group meeting, and one of the wise women there, I can't remember who or I would give her credit, said, "God loves you just the way you are, but too much to leave you there." There you have it in a nutshell. God gives freely with no strings attached, not the usual sense of the word, that is Yes, he sees is the way we are, and loves and gives us grace freely anyway. Still, in His loving parenthood, He claims certain parental rights. This means that he becomes the Potter to his child, and steps in to lead us in the right direction. In the process we may feel as though were being led into the “valley of the shadow of death.” But as we all know it is in the Valley and the deep places that we learn. We stumble around and what we think is the darkness of our bad circumstances when all the while God is molding us and creating in us the person that he intended in the first place. I love the metaphor of the Potter. He is the Potter, and we are the clay. I really do love this. After all, what is clay? Here is the definition of clay

• noun:
a very fine-grained soil that is plastic when moist

but hard when fired

• noun:
water soaked soil; soft wet earth

Clay is the raw material that can be molded into the most beautiful vase, or pot, or even ovenware in which the gourmet creation is cooked, but in which it can also be presented in a beautiful way on the table. People, who are at the table, are not only blessed by the nourishment but also by the loveliness of the presentation. This is what God does for us. He molds us and shapes us into something lovely to look at. It applies great heat to us so that inside we will be beautiful and strong as well.

Sometimes the things he does lovingly can be very painful. It can be like having to go to the doctor in order to get something detrimental to our body removed. There is a slight difference because usually you can have an anesthetic to alleviate the pain. The kind of pain that God deals with in us very often is spiritual and emotional and must be felt and endured to get to the healthy place. It is hard when you're in the middle of such an experience to deal with it. Sometimes we lose our sense of faithful and safe reliance on God during these times. We forget our past history of such times when we found out that in the end things do turn out and that God has a reason for what He does. We lose hope, and we fear that nothing will ever be right again.

God is the ultimate, perfect parent. He has no flaws whatsoever in his love or treatment of his children. His purposes are always to our best interests. When we are suffering is hard to remember all of this. Still, it is true. He will never leave us or forsake us; He always has our best interest in mind; He has a plan for us it is the ultimate best for our life and our eternity. How blest we are! In the end, we can always keep in mind how well He knows us. The Bible says that he needed us in the darkness of our mother’s womb and that he had planned for us for all eternity. He knows what we will do in every word before we speak it. Even knows numbers of the hairs on our heads.

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Psalm 139:13-15

We can also keep in mind on how much He loves us. We can rely on this fact for all our days and be aware of where He is bringing us. Eternity with Him.

But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory,

the One who lifts my head high.

Psalm 3:3

Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,

your justice like the great deep.

You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.

7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!

People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 36:5-7