| Tuesday | High: 73 | Low: 46 | |
| Day 148 | 19,546 | 9.8 | |
| Hiked La Llorona Trail | |||
| Total since June 24 | 1,267,128 | 633.6 | |
“Please accept this gift from me! That’ll be $23.94, thank you.”
When was the last time you charged someone for a gift? When was the last time someone charged you for a gift? Seriously, if I charge you for a gift, or if you charge me for a gift… is it a gift? Check out a dictionary for the word gift, there are three, but focus on: “something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation” (Merriam-Webster)
Why do I point this out? Because a friend brought to my attention one of his pet peaves about terminology, in this case utilized by Christianity. Jeffrey pointed out that I, totally without thinking, repeated this definition in yesterday’s blog about Grace: “Grace is God’s free gift…”
His point, of course, is right on the money (weak pun intended). A gift is a gift. If it is not free it is not a gift, but something purchased or acquired through effort.
Jeffrey goes on to ask: “Is it really a gift when we have to do something to have it?” And that is, exactly, what I asked yesterday, I think. I quoted Crossan/Borg as saying that God freely offers… that’s an acceptable term, here. One can offer something freely OR with a price. God offers it freely. We then have to accept it. And then God gives it freely… in this case, give is used in the sense of definition 9a of Merriam Webster:to yield as a product, consequence or effect.
God offers;
I accept;
God completes the transaction by yielding that which God offered into my hands.
It’s a transaction… one which I have to do nothing more than to accept.
Hmm. Thank you Jeffrey, for helping me reason out the meaning of this!
So let me see, then, based on this. What would I say is ‘Grace’?
I think it is a process, not a thing.
What would my readers think of this construct:
Grace is the process by which God, of God’s Own Accord, moves in my life to reach out to me, offering to me the gift of salvation, which when accepted by me, is freely given.
DAILY GRATITUDE
I am grateful, today, for the movement of God in my life, reaching out to me. You may notice this is the same as yesterday’s “gratitude”. I do so intentionally. If God’s Grace is a process, it is ongoing. And it is not complete in me yet. Grace is a big thing. A really big thing. So, it takes two days of gratitude!
PRAYER INTENTIONS
“God seeks shalom at every level of life, from cells to community and nations. Our unique calling is to bring God’s shalom to our relationships and the world.” — Bruce G. Epperly
This week’s theme, drawn from the tiles, is “Care.”
Fortunately, the description for “Care” fits in with my primary prayer request this week. My middle brother is still in need of prayer, as he recovers from heart surgery. Thank you!
On The Road II 