Monday, November 09, 2009

Life and Busyness

Life as we know it in the Moore home is just a little crazy these days, even for us. You know when you first meet someone and they tell you about all the things they do each day and you're absolutely amazed that they can do everything that they are telling you? Well, I just met someone that when you hear the list of all that they're doing, you think they're crazy or even foolish.

After realizing that I hadn't blogged in quite a while, ah hem, due to busyness, I started thinking about what I could blog about. Here is the list I came up with. ..Date nights, talking to Josh, playing with the kids, disciplining the kids, Community Group, Gymnastics, Kindermusik, Life Group, Meeting with friends, watching a friends kids, church, Redemption Group, daily bible study, BSF, homeschool, meal planning, grocery shopping, prayer, reading prep for Life group, redemption group and BSF, preparing meals for friends with new babies, packing our home to move, phone calls to family members, phone calls for our house sale and purchase, email to friends and family, TV, laundry, cleaning, sorting, purging, and I think the list can go on but that's all from just this week. (Disclaimer…not all of these things are being done well, but they are being done.)

Then I realized that I was now one of those people that I used to be amazed at. I'm not saying this to be prideful or bring attention to myself in anyway…but I actually don't get it. How are all of these things being accomplished each week? I feel like I'm getting sleep, so it's not that I'm not sleeping, how is this possible? Then I remembered a sermon that our pastor preached on Grace.

What is Grace? A gift, something we have done nothing to get, just a gift. What I think of most often is God's saving grace, that he has chosen me and saved me from my sin and has given me eternal life. Our pastor calls that electing grace, but that's a blog post for another time. So what other types of grace does God give us? Well, there's preached grace, regenerating grace, converting grace, justifying grace, adopting grace, ministry grace, sanctifying grace, empowering grace, provisional grace, miraculous grace, persevering grace, and glorifying grace. Basically, grace in abundance!

What I remembered most today was the empowering grace. It is grace where God is "enabling us to do the good works that he has appointed for us to do with great power and humility." I write this because I relate to what Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10;

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I think what I'm experiencing is what Mark Driscoll talks about in his book Religion Saves that "empowering grace enables Christians to live lives that are more fruitful and productive than they would have ever dreamed possible."

Thank you God for your Empowering Grace and may this blessing continue as I continue to boast in all my weakness and in your strength!

2 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for writing this! You said it very well. People look at me like I'm crazy to let my husband go to Re:Train and all the many things I do to keep up our house and 3 kids in the meantime. Its hard for me to see it through their eyes-because I'm doing it one day at a time and when I'm doing it that way it doesn't always feel like so much. Thank you Jesus for your empowering Grace!!

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  2. Hi Sarah,
    awesome! So encouraging to see the evidence of God's grace in your life. I thank god for knowing you both and maybe one day meeting the rest of your family.
    God bless you with more empowering Grace for his Glory and your joy.

    Phil.

    PS: I like the german word: Kindermusik :)

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