Mercy and Grace

First, a follow-up on my last blog entry.  Mercy Elizabeth is holding her own and her parents, Rodney and Allison continue to thank God for every moment they are blessed to spend with her. Please continue to keep the Whitfield family in your prayers. I know the unknown weighs heavy on their hearts. I've been thinking about "grace" and how we define it. We say, "It's amazing" and sometimes "prevenient" (meaning, before faith) and something to "thank God for." But what exactly is it? There are as many definitions of grace as you can find salads at a church potluck. One classic definition of grace is God's unmerited favor (i.e. God treating us better then we deserve). In John's Gospel, Jesus tells his Disciples,  "The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you." (John 14:26). In my view, grace is the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. It is how we experience God's love for us in Jesus on a daily basis. When understood in those terms, I find grace to be less of an abstract concept and more of an ongoing reality. And it is amazing, to say the least.