Conduits of Grace

"Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who wait for Him." Isaiah 30:18

This weekend was a discouraging and exhausting one. I returned from rainy Chicago disappointed and desiring to go to bed and sleep for days instead of jumping into the week before me. However, God was gracious to me. Within a little over 12 hours of my return, two separate friends encouraged me greatly. I received sympathetic phone calls, offers to run errands, specific prayers on my behalf, and a very colorful and noisy card! Their thoughtfulness was humbling and cherished. These women made me smile and want to reach out again. They both served as portraits of Gal. 6:10 to me.

They were conduits of grace. I do not remember where I first heard this phrase; it certainly is not original to me. But how fitting this imagery has been for me in the last several months. You see the presence of these sisters in my life is not an indicator of grace, and their absence would not signal its desertion. God's grace is not dependent on either the wonderful people or great situations in my life. His presence is grace. His character alone is evidence of goodness regardless of whatever else may be. Or not be.

And yet, I am so grateful that my Father is a God who sometimes chooses to use human hands and feet to show His love and remind us that He knows. He prompted both of these women to love me a little more personally on Monday. He used them to bless me. He is the author of their kindness. They are simply conduits, people through which He says, “I love you; see how I want to be gracious to you.”

Praise the Lord that He is gracious. Praise Him that He chooses, at times, to physically SHOW us grace and love. Praise the Lord.