Luck or Grace?

Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields

and, Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

I don’t know about you, but with gas prices rising so quickly it seems like it is getting to be quite a challenge to stretch my budget from paycheck to paycheck. I know everyone is feeling the crunch, but sometimes that doesn’t offer much consolation.  Just about the time you think you have it figured out, life happens...

... the battery in your car dies and payday isn’t for another week
... it’s been a very stressful day, you really need to talk to someone and your husband is out of town for a few days
... you forgot that it’s your child’s turn to take snack to her dance class on Wednesday night, and you are already trying to stretch your groceries until Friday

BUT, just when your peace and security are beginning to dwindle and you think you are losing the battle, the repairman tells you he will hold your check until payday, your neighbor stops over to check on you and brings your family a casserole for dinner, an unexpected check appears in the mail. Blessing upon blessing.... is it LUCK or GRACE?

LUCK:  fortune, chance, fate, destiny, coincidence
GRACE: mercy, favor, blessing (unconditional, undeserving, unexpected)

Matthew 6:33 tells us that “He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the kingdom of God your primary concern.” God’s provisions are not just for our big things or the major crisis’ in our lives.  You can rest assured that He doesn’t leave the small things to luck (or chance), he hears the smallest details of our prayers and even our unspoken concerns. In Romans 8:28, Christians are given the promise that “...in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God is sovereign over everything, so we can trust that nothing is merely a matter of chance. God suffers with us through our painful times and takes joy in the wonderful events in our life. And because God knows our every need, sometimes he even uses other's to reveal His grace through their kindess, generosity, and servant's heart... aka the way they "sparkle."  On the other hand, luck, unlike faith in God, is not personal. 

Today my "pot of gold" is only a coffee mug filled with pennies, but for that I am grateful!  I'm not going to wish you a "lucky" St. Patrick's Day, but a "grace-y" day!  Catch you again Friday... God's Peace, Donna Weaver

LEPRECHAUN DUST (fun treat for kids)

Jell-O Brand instant pistachio pudding • Milk • Ziploc baggies • Spoons

Put 1 tablespoon of leprechaun dust (pudding mix) into a

sealed baggie  for each child.  Add 1/4 cup of cold milk and let
them shake until the instant pudding turns green. Yummy!