Waffle House Grace

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8, NIV 2011).

I was seeing a fellow for eosinophilia in a follow up visit and asked him how his life was going.
“My house burned down and we lost everything.”
“I am so sorry. Was anyone hurt?”
And the conversation continued.
As he rose to leave, he added,
“I never knew how many wonderful people there were in our town. They came from everywhere to help. I go to the Waffle House every morning to drink coffee and talk with my friends. Last week I went and someone was in my usual seat. I asked if I could sit next to him and he said it was okay. While we were there, the waitresses and others kept coming at me and offering furniture and clothes. When this man got up to pay his check at the counter, he asked the waitress, ‘What’s going on with this guy?’ After she told him, he took his billfold out and handed her, for me, a hundred dollar bill.
I don’t know who he was and I never saw him again.”

Ever received a gift like that?
Ever given one?
Do I realize how often God does this with me?
It’s all grace.
All of our houses are burned to the ground. We sit among each other, sharing what we can of this life, making ends meet. Then God steps in with His life and death and resurrection—though “the world did not recognize him”(John 1:10b, NIV 2011).
And the grace continues. He sustains us each day, in each event, through each year, each relationship. None of us deserve it. None of it is pay-back for anything we have done for Him. All is love. All is grace.

Dear Father,
Let me accept your grace for what it is and wonder at the love.
Amen