Witnessing Grace

I hope that this finds you in good spirits. This life meets us with many obstacles, but with each of them God is ready to meet us with his grace and the invitation to trust his true character. My pastor challenged me two weeks ago to keep my ears and eyes open ready to receive a blessing. Its so easy to loose focus, when we have so many things running through our heads at once. Most often I am running ahead thinking about the future with the present playing second fiddle. Or in some instances-- so focused and wrapped up in the past or yesterday's news that I don't recognize the many opportunities around me. I failed to recognize the people God put in my path to bless and build his present kingdom. What God's desires most is fellowship with his people. We were created to worship and bring praise to his name. If God desires so much a fellowship with us, how much so does he desire us to fellowship with his people? For the longest this has been a completely foreign concept. Our relationship with God should be so personal that his overwhelming grace and mercy causes us to relate in the same way to others. Its hard to recognize the living God when we are preoccupied with ourselves, failing to see the present as his Gift and the opportunity to love without judging. Jesus came and showed mercy to the worst of sinners. Liars, adulterers, fornicators he managed to use the present opportunity to love them, but also teaching them through a walking breathing example of righteousness. Those that were willing seized this opportunity to begin a new path of abundant living." I have come that you may have life, and life more abundantly John 10:10". The worst of the worst began to witness the Grace that Jesus offers to all who will simply trust and believe him. They saw his mercy and abandoned their former ways. It was his mercy and not his harshness that caused them to behave better. It was true when Jesus came and it is true today, that what the world needs most is love, and forgiveness. Jesus is calling each of us to seize this opportunity. He calls each of us to have open eyes and ears so that we may receive the blessing of his grace!