Grace to you and peace

“Grace to you and peace.”

That is what Paul, Silas, and Timothy said to the church at Thessalonia.

Just breathe that in for minute, as though it is meant for you.  “Grace to you and peace.”

Ahhhhhh.

Grace, undeserved favor.  Have you experienced any of that in your life?  I sure have.  I’ve raved ad nauseum about how blessed I am at this moment to have six months, or more, of rest.  To be living by the Huron River, with deer grazing in my back yard.  To have the time to read and write and recover.  But I have a longer list of undeserved favor: twenty-four years of marriage, four (plus one) healthy kids and a grandkid on the way, friends by the dozen, loving family, plenty of everything we need and want,…

Do you have a list?  Do you have so many blessings that it sometimes overwhelms you?  That’s grace.  Undeserved favor.

And peace.  Tranquility, absence of strife, contentment.  Why, if I am flooded with grace, do I not always embrace peace?  Why do I choose to mull over every little detail, stressing myself out over every little misstep I have made, every little unknown in my life.  Sure, I’ve got healthy kids, but what if they aren’t taking care of themselves? Yes, I have this time to take a break and rest, but shouldn’t I really be looking for a job. Come on, who really takes six months to just rest?

Grace is a gift.  Peace, perhaps, is the acknowledgment of that gift.  You have given me twenty-four years of marriage?  Ahhhhh.  Thank you.  Let me just absorb that for a minute.  I have supportive friends across the country? Wow.  Thank you.  Let me rest in that.  I get to spend the next six months resting, writing, recovering?  Really?  Are you serious? I embrace it.  Thank you.  I am content in this moment

So, grace be multiplied to you. His undeserved favor, his outpouring of unconditional love that knows what you need before you ask, overwhelm you.  And peace, that knowledge that He is indeed holding you in the palm of his hand, carrying you through whatever it is at the moment, and knowing what is next for you and for me, surround you.

Grace to you and peace.

Philipians 4:7

And the peace that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.