A Lesson on Grace

It was Valentine’s Day, and from my bedroom window, I could see a fresh coating of powderlike snow. After completing my devotions and other preparations for the morning, I ventured into the family room, where my husband sat, watching the news.

Since this was Sunday, neither of us was in a hurry to do much. Then he said something that changed the course of the day. Vondell directed me to look out the kitchen window. I did not think much of the request, as I expected to see more snow from a different angle. When I entered the kitchen, I lifted the shade over the sink and rolled back the curtain covering the patio door. Immediately, my hand went to my mouth. I had no words for what my eyes beheld. The one lone pine tree in our backyard had snapped during the night and fallen over into our neighbor’s yard, destroying the awning on the patio, disfiguring the gutters, and mangling his boat. My appetite evaporated as anxiety took its place. Had anyone been hurt? Had the damage been extensive enough to make a portion of the home uninhabitable? Immediately, I prayed, “Father, please let these people be all right.” Vondell slid on his boots and went next door. They were relatively new neighbors, and we rarely saw them. He spoke with the wife, as the husband was out, and she said they were fine. Later that evening, when Vondell spoke to the husband, he was told not to worry. They would be speaking to their insurance company in the morning. He already had a plan in mind to repair the damage and remove the fallen tree.

Immediately, I lifted my hands in praise to God.

Things might have turned out very differently. Grace—that is what I recognized this to be. As we became more acquainted with this couple, we learned of their Christian faith and how they, too, had been the recipients of God’s grace on many occasions.

How good God is: when things seem the worst, He steps in and offers grace that we have neither earned nor deserve. Grace is something God gives freely.

Grace is something we can share with others.

Grace is love in action.

Yvonne Curry Smallwood