“By the grace of God somehow it all works out,” I told the room packed full of parents and students interested in attending this year’s Oregon Coast field trip.
And, by the grace of God, somehow it does. The field trip really is a logistical miracle. With just three weeks between the start of school and the start of the trip we somehow manage to recruit students, inform parents, facilitate a service project, instigate a fundraiser, jump through a multitude of administrative hoops (including but not limited to five different documents filled out for each student, a background check, driver’s record and two online courses completed for each adult volunteer, and pages of plans and permissions submitted by me), and, most amazing of all, convince 12-15 parents to leave their jobs for a week to drive their own cars to transport other people’s teens (and their own) to, from, and around Oregon. And, by the grace of God, it all works out.
God’s grace is not limited to Oregon Coast field trips. He helps with many things...like our freezer.
We bought our freezer used when we moved into our home over 22 years ago. . Monday it gave up. Tuesday I talked to God about it. Wednesday it worked again. Last week the dishwasher quit; it made noises as if pretending to work but the dishes simply were not getting clean. Tuesday I asked for help for it too. Wednesday’s wash cleaned the dishes.
God’s grace is manifest through people as well. My sweet friend bought boxes of blueberries for me and boxes of cereal for my son. And she did not stop there; she insisted on filling the cart with things that can be stored in our resurrected freezer. Our IT guy, a man who is not overly demonstrative, left a Thank You note in my school box. Holy cow! I pest him so often with inane issues (I am a technology dinosaur…) that I figured he barely tolerated me. To find out that he appreciates me was revelatory (and awesome!). My bishop, whose plate overflows with people who have problems much greater than mine, sent a compassionate note to my email inbox. As I read his words, I felt his love….and His love. The feeling of love, from my bishop and from my Savior, was almost overpowering.
There are some significant stressors in our lives right now. Lance’s search for employment is ongoing. Shadows of sorrow chased my child south. Homework haunts. Social anxieties can be crippling. I ache with the burdens carried by those I love.
There are also significant blessings. Thank God (literally) we followed the counsel of His prophet and are debt free. There is lots of food in our freezer, and on our shelves and there are bushels and bushels of peaches on our trees. (Guess what I am doing tomorrow….) All of my children love me, my husband adores me, and I am at peace.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
There is peace in Christ.
By the grace of God, everything will work out.
And, by the grace of God, somehow it does. The field trip really is a logistical miracle. With just three weeks between the start of school and the start of the trip we somehow manage to recruit students, inform parents, facilitate a service project, instigate a fundraiser, jump through a multitude of administrative hoops (including but not limited to five different documents filled out for each student, a background check, driver’s record and two online courses completed for each adult volunteer, and pages of plans and permissions submitted by me), and, most amazing of all, convince 12-15 parents to leave their jobs for a week to drive their own cars to transport other people’s teens (and their own) to, from, and around Oregon. And, by the grace of God, it all works out.
God’s grace is not limited to Oregon Coast field trips. He helps with many things...like our freezer.
We bought our freezer used when we moved into our home over 22 years ago. . Monday it gave up. Tuesday I talked to God about it. Wednesday it worked again. Last week the dishwasher quit; it made noises as if pretending to work but the dishes simply were not getting clean. Tuesday I asked for help for it too. Wednesday’s wash cleaned the dishes.
God’s grace is manifest through people as well. My sweet friend bought boxes of blueberries for me and boxes of cereal for my son. And she did not stop there; she insisted on filling the cart with things that can be stored in our resurrected freezer. Our IT guy, a man who is not overly demonstrative, left a Thank You note in my school box. Holy cow! I pest him so often with inane issues (I am a technology dinosaur…) that I figured he barely tolerated me. To find out that he appreciates me was revelatory (and awesome!). My bishop, whose plate overflows with people who have problems much greater than mine, sent a compassionate note to my email inbox. As I read his words, I felt his love….and His love. The feeling of love, from my bishop and from my Savior, was almost overpowering.
There are some significant stressors in our lives right now. Lance’s search for employment is ongoing. Shadows of sorrow chased my child south. Homework haunts. Social anxieties can be crippling. I ache with the burdens carried by those I love.
There are also significant blessings. Thank God (literally) we followed the counsel of His prophet and are debt free. There is lots of food in our freezer, and on our shelves and there are bushels and bushels of peaches on our trees. (Guess what I am doing tomorrow….) All of my children love me, my husband adores me, and I am at peace.
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
There is peace in Christ.
By the grace of God, everything will work out.
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