Your Grace Finds Me
“The riches of God's grace”
Ephesians 1:7d (NIV)
Recently our church experienced both great joy and great sorrow. Our pastor, Dr. Harry Reeder, and his family were joyfully anticipating the upcoming marriage of their oldest daughter. Dr. Reeder's oldest sister Vicki was killed in a tragic automobile accident in Augusta, Georgia three days before her niece's wedding. An already busy weekend - wedding rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony, two sermons on Sunday morning- in addition to our Briarwood seminary and high school graduations and a Sunday evening church wide reception for three associate pastors who are retiring- became even more complicated by a fatal car wreck.
Vicki's accident happened on Wednesday, but most of our congregation didn't find our about the tragedy until Thursday morning. The next three days became a unique opportunity to pray for our pastor and his family. Bruce and I, along with countless others, prayed that the Reeders would have great joy in the midst of great sorrow; God's peace in the midst of pain; and an opportunity for the Gospel of Christ to be shared both in Birmingham and in Charlotte, North Carolina, Vicki's home. Most of all, I prayed one of my favorite prayer requests: "for grace and pace." Whenever anyone asks me how he or she can best pray for me, my "go to" response is "God's grace and pace." Physically, I wasn't sure how Dr. Reeder could hold up under the stress of the wedding, church activity, travel and funeral logistics. Dr. Reeder's February open heart surgery would take a huge physical toll on anyone. Combine that with the pastoral pace required to lead a large congregation as well as the emotional toll that both a daughter's wedding and sister's funeral require, and I just couldn't imagine that any human could withstand the pressure. And so we prayed. From Thursday through Saturday, we prayed that somehow God would sustain the Reeders physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We also prayed that they would be able to enjoy and celebrate their daughter's wedding.
Sunday morning rolled around and our hearts were still heavy. Bruce and I debated whether or not Dr. Reeder would actually preach sermons at both worship services. Bruce was hoping that Harry would allow someone else preach given the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the weekend. I didn't think so. "This will be a real life teaching opportunity for our congregation. He will be living and modeling grace for us, not just preaching about it," I said. We both continued to pray for God's grace and help in time of need.
As Bruce, James Bruce and I got in our car that Sunday morning, a familiar song began playing on the WLJR 88.5 radio station. WLJR is Briarwood's radio station. The station's call letters are an acronym for" Where the Lord Jesus Reigns."
"I love this song," I said as Bruce pulled out of the driveway.
"Which one is it?" Bruce asked.
"Matt Redman's song, Your Grace Finds Me," I answered.
And with that reply, Matt Redman's lyrics and God's good grace washed over me in a completely fresh way. And I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God's grace was enough to find and sustain the Reeders as well. Dr. Reeder did preach those two Sunday morning sermons. He preached the 8AM sermon to an auditorium full of proud parents and grandparents whose children were graduating high school that day. He used the Puritan's "a hard providence" phrase to describe his sister's death. But he also used her death as a living illustration to make sure that each of us is prepared, not just for life here, but life eternal. God's great grace is not just sustaining, but saving as well. And His Gospel and grace are always enough for our need.
I don't know where you are today. Perhaps you, like me, are in need of God's grace and pace in the midst of the everyday and mundane. There are other times when we need God's grace in the sorrow and the dancing, on the wedding day, and at the graveside. Some of us will have songs of victory and all of us will have darkest nights of the soul. Regardless of where we are, we are never too far from God's amazing grace which comes to seek, save and sustain us, not only in this life, but in the life to come.
Praise God that His grace finds us wherever we are.
Amen and Amen!
Donna
PS -Matt Redman's Your Grace Finds Me lyrics are below:
It’s there in the newborn cryIt’s there in the light of every sunriseIt’s there in the shadows of this lightYour great grace
It’s there on the mountaintopIt’s there in the everyday and the mundaneThere in the sorrow and the dancingYour great grace; Oh, such grace
From the creation to the crossThen from the cross into eternityYour grace finds meYes, Your grace finds me
It’s there on a wedding dayThere in the weeping by the gravesideThere in the very breath we breatheYour great grace
Same for the rich and poorSame for the saint and for the sinnerEnough for this whole wide worldYour great grace; Oh, such grace
From the creation to the crossThen from the cross into eternityYour grace finds meYes, Your grace finds me
There in the darkest night of the soulThere in the sweetest songs of victoryYour grace finds meYes, Your grace finds me
Your great grace; Oh, such graceYour great grace; Oh, such grace
So I’m breathing in Your graceAnd I’m breathing out Your praiseI’m breathing in Your graceForever I’ll beBreathing in Your graceAnd I’m breathing out Your praiseI’m breathing in Your graceAnd I’m breathing out Your praiseBreathing in Your graceFor our God, for our God
Yes, Your grace finds meYes, Your grace finds me
Category: Suffering
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