Lenten repost

"Through many dangers, toils and snares...
we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
and Grace will lead us home." 
verse from Amazing Grace

As we sung Amazing Grace in church this morning, this verse stood out. How much I have been through in my life. God's grace has always been there. I know many of you have been through some dangers, toils and snares. I know some of us are going through them right now. I know there are probably more to come. This verse is so powerful in that regard. The grace of God will get me through as it has already. All He is our acceptance.

He wants nothing more than our faith. He asks nothing more of us than love. Which if you think about it, faith and love is everything. So He asks everything of us. But it isn't as hard as we lead ourselves to believe. With God's grace it is so easy. We start by simply saying "Jesus Christ come into my life". How simple is that. We trust him from that point to lead us home. And lead us home He will.

As we approach Ash Wednesday and lent I will use this verse. As I am deciding how to use lent to draw closer to Christ, I will pray this verse. As I am living my lenten promises of fasting, abstinence, alms giving and prayer, I will remember this verse.


The awesome power of God's Grace. It is nothing we have earned, nothing we can earn. It is freely given. Christ's love and grace is ours for the taking.

Lent can be a very powerful time. A time of preparation before entering into the holiest of seasons, Easter. A time to recognize our mortality, acknowledge wrongs we have committed. We also prayerfully live out our love and faith in Christ.

Prayer, fasting, abstinence and alms giving. Prayer, spending time with God, mostly listening but also sharing what is in our hearts. Fasting, to abstain from eating certain foods or minimizing consumption, as a way of recognizing that all we have comes from God. Also remembering those who don't have all the comforts we do. Abstinence, to do without certain comforts. Again to recognize all we have comes from God and eliminate things that distract us from God.

Last year I gave up listening to the radio in my car. If you know me, you know that was a big deal for me. I found it to be incredibly powerful. To have quiet time alone driving with my own thoughts was amazing. Sometimes we let the world drown out our thoughts and quiet times. We have forgotten how to sit quietly.

This year I am not sure what I will be doing along those lines. I will continue to pray and meditate on the verse of the Amazing Grace. The amazing grace of God will lead me.

May the Grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fill your hearts with joy!!!