Remembering Grace...

 

A couple times a month I treat myself.

 Three hard working ladies enter my front door early in the morning and they make my house shine.

I appreciate them.

They make my life easier. 

I don't see them except on these days. I don't know where they live, who their children are or where they worship. I wish I did, but I don't.

Maybe someday I will.

On a recent visit I was in my office when I heard a large crash.

I went into the hall to check on it and one of the gals pointed to the bedroom.

I quietly walked in and saw the gal in charge standing in the doorway to the bathroom. 

She was upset. She was talking to the younger girl, who was scooping up shattered glass. A lot of glass. 

I asked if she was okay?

Yes she mumbled... not looking me in the eye.

She was embarrassed. 

The in charge gal apologized as she reached for her phone. She was calling the office to report this "incident".

She was visibly upset... almost in tears.

Perhaps she thought the broken glass was expensive, irreplaceable, or maybe I would be upset or angry.

I touched her shoulder and asked her to put her phone away.

I told her it was okay. It was an accident. 

She calmed down, seemingly relieved.

I mentioned it to my husband that evening. He was glad to hear it ended quickly without repercussions. He would have been concerned that the amount might have been deducted from the young girls pay.

The value was about Twenty five dollars. 

Would it have mattered more to me if the item had been one hundred dollars, or one thousand?

Where is the line, when we decide we want restitution?

At what dollar amount do items become more important than people?
There is no amount or there shouldn't be.

My husband and I talked about this... I love that he loves people more than things.

It was a thing... pretty, but still, just a thing... which pretty much sums up most of the stuff we own.

I thought of the parable in Matthew 18:21-35 about the unforgiving debtor. The man is forgiven a large amount of money and then he goes out into the street and sees a man who owes him money and instead of forgiving him, he has him put in prison till he can repay the man.

Talk about ungrateful and unforgiving... after he had been forgiven.

When I had heard the crash I had just received a call from a Doctor. I had expected this call for two weeks. It was a good call, with good news as I had expected... but still, I was grateful.

Always a reminder to me of what is important in life.

I'm shown grace everyday... undeserved.

Would I have shown the same grace if it had been an injustice done to me, my husband, my children? How would I have responded? This time it was easy... I am not attached to stuff... mostly.

If I could fill my house with gold, silver, diamonds and filthy dollar bills...

Would those things make my life rich?

Would those things bring me joy?

Would I take them with me into eternity?  

Would they even matter at the end of my life?

No.

Relationships will make me rich, bring me joy, and will be the only thing that matters at the end of my life.

First... my relationship with God and then with others.

I wish I would always respond graciously, with love.

How do you respond when accidents happen? Do they ruin your day or are you over them quickly?

How do you show grace? 

Share your thoughts with me, so I will remember...

and season my words with love.