Chrissie Prichard Humenny

Ephesians 2:4-10
However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.

You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.

Reflection:
During periods of my life when I’ve doubted God or my faith in God, it has been the concept of grace that has drawn me back in. Perhaps I’m not alone in feeling like I don’t quite measure up. “I could have done this better, or I shouldn’t have done that, or gosh, I wish I was as good of a person as so-and-so.” But Paul reminds us that God loves us and wants the best for us no matter what we’ve done or not done. Life can be hard, and I cannot imagine how much harder it would be without this reassurance and the confidence in my own worth that God’s love brings. I’m grateful for my relationship with God for so many reasons, but grace is chief among them.

Every night at bedtime I sing Amazing Grace to my daughter. It serves as both a prayer of thanksgiving and a powerful reminder for me, and as a bonus it seems to help her fall asleep. My family jokes that she falls asleep to avoid listening to me sing for too long, and that could very well be the case (there is a reason I’m not in the choir). But I do hope one day she learns the lyrics and sings it with me. I want her to know the hope we have because of God’s grace. I will love her and show her God’s love as best as I can, but I know one day she too will feel as though she doesn’t measure up. My prayer is that during these times of uncertainty she remembers the amazing gift of grace. I hope she remembers the lyrics to my favorite verse:

The Lord hath promised good to me
His word my hope endures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the gift of your grace. When I feel unworthy or defeated, remind me of the gift of your grace. Remind me “t’was grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” Amen.