Friday, December 29, 2006 at 2:02am
The power of grace
As children growing up, my sister and I would spend the summers at Grandma's house before going to camp in White Plains, New York. Grandma had a huge circular flower bed in her backyard, filled with roses, daffodils, geraniums, lilies, and chrysanthemums. The Georgia sun seemed to light up the sky and shine her brilliant rays down on Grandma's flowers. The early morning dew resting in the grass, quickly conceded to the Indian Summer heat and the air always smelled like rich vanilla with a hint of rose.
During one summer's visit, at about age nine, I can particularly remember Grandma's aromatic flower bed. To get a morning glimpse of Queen Esther's garden, I would pull myself on top of the washing machine that stood next to the kitchen window. From my perch, Grandma would also let me watch her make breakfast and, every now and then, I'd take a peek over at her to see if she'd let me try and flip a hot buttered pancake. This was the summer I burned my wrist on the stove and begged Grandma not to tell Mom so she wouldn't get upset. That was also the summer, an intuitive yellow butterfly and clumsy ladybug taught me the power of grace.
The lesson learned wasn't complicated. Actually it was simple as can be. But the lasting effect these two little creatures' dance with Spirit, would have on me, was a profound story of grace. Before Grandma's afternoon music students arrived, she and I decided to have a picnic lunch on the grass by the flower garden. Tuna sandwiches, grapes, Vanilla wafers and milk. Grandma had sweet tea, very sweet Southern tea.
Nearby, several butterflies were feasting on nectar with the exception of one granddaddy-size butterfly, hovering over three others. This one seemed like their protector. Hiding in the tiny petals of a geranium was a fat ladybug attempting to get a peek of sunlight. I guess because the ladybug was so fat, the petal gave way to her weight and she tumbled out... over... and landed upside down, on a flower petal below. With legs struggling to touch ground, she fell again on an under layer of petals which caught her before hitting the ground. Still upside down, Granddaddy butterfly sensed her distress, courageously left his family of butterflies and actually lighted on that petal making it become a trampoline... and like a tiny miracle, the ladybug landed right side up, unharmed.
Grandma called it the great rescue of love. In my adult years, when I reflect on that event, I call it God's almighty grace. In just that moment I saw God's love and mercy in action. Two little insects taught me kindness in their world. I began to understand the concept of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." My Grandmother would use this as a lesson to further paint vivid examples of grace, in my young mind, found in the tenderness of a Mother and her newborn infant... the grace with which a concert violinist holds her bow... the grace in the potter's hands, as he caresses, molds and shapes a piece of clay... and the grace hidden in the words thank you and I'm sorry.
"...You do not have to earn grace. It is not something that comes only to the good. It comes to all alike, simply because all alike are expressions of God." - Eric Butterworth
The parody above demonstrates grace in action through the eyes of an impressionable child. Does grace find you? No, ...for we are all born with grace. As we come into the celebratory season of giving thanks and remembering our Creator, let us not forget to give thanks to the tender Spirit of His grace- God's abundant goodness in the small things.
"... The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" (Rev. 22:21).
— — —
Debra J. Gordon writes creative fiction borne from her dreams and life experiences. Presently she makes her home in Hampton, Virginia, failing miserably at NOT spoiling her new grand baby. Before meeting God in Heaven, she's on a quest to fight injustice and to speak up for the people who can't speak for themselves. Kindred spirits may join her on the road to world harmony at her blogs: Peace Begins at Home — The Wisdom Well of Love — The Power of One and All Things Zen Her email address is {email judges4.4@justice.com}judges4.4@justice.com{/email}. © copyright 2006 by Debra J. Gordon
During one summer's visit, at about age nine, I can particularly remember Grandma's aromatic flower bed. To get a morning glimpse of Queen Esther's garden, I would pull myself on top of the washing machine that stood next to the kitchen window. From my perch, Grandma would also let me watch her make breakfast and, every now and then, I'd take a peek over at her to see if she'd let me try and flip a hot buttered pancake. This was the summer I burned my wrist on the stove and begged Grandma not to tell Mom so she wouldn't get upset. That was also the summer, an intuitive yellow butterfly and clumsy ladybug taught me the power of grace.
The lesson learned wasn't complicated. Actually it was simple as can be. But the lasting effect these two little creatures' dance with Spirit, would have on me, was a profound story of grace. Before Grandma's afternoon music students arrived, she and I decided to have a picnic lunch on the grass by the flower garden. Tuna sandwiches, grapes, Vanilla wafers and milk. Grandma had sweet tea, very sweet Southern tea.
Nearby, several butterflies were feasting on nectar with the exception of one granddaddy-size butterfly, hovering over three others. This one seemed like their protector. Hiding in the tiny petals of a geranium was a fat ladybug attempting to get a peek of sunlight. I guess because the ladybug was so fat, the petal gave way to her weight and she tumbled out... over... and landed upside down, on a flower petal below. With legs struggling to touch ground, she fell again on an under layer of petals which caught her before hitting the ground. Still upside down, Granddaddy butterfly sensed her distress, courageously left his family of butterflies and actually lighted on that petal making it become a trampoline... and like a tiny miracle, the ladybug landed right side up, unharmed.
Grandma called it the great rescue of love. In my adult years, when I reflect on that event, I call it God's almighty grace. In just that moment I saw God's love and mercy in action. Two little insects taught me kindness in their world. I began to understand the concept of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." My Grandmother would use this as a lesson to further paint vivid examples of grace, in my young mind, found in the tenderness of a Mother and her newborn infant... the grace with which a concert violinist holds her bow... the grace in the potter's hands, as he caresses, molds and shapes a piece of clay... and the grace hidden in the words thank you and I'm sorry.
"...You do not have to earn grace. It is not something that comes only to the good. It comes to all alike, simply because all alike are expressions of God." - Eric Butterworth
The parody above demonstrates grace in action through the eyes of an impressionable child. Does grace find you? No, ...for we are all born with grace. As we come into the celebratory season of giving thanks and remembering our Creator, let us not forget to give thanks to the tender Spirit of His grace- God's abundant goodness in the small things.
"... The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" (Rev. 22:21).
— — —
Debra J. Gordon writes creative fiction borne from her dreams and life experiences. Presently she makes her home in Hampton, Virginia, failing miserably at NOT spoiling her new grand baby. Before meeting God in Heaven, she's on a quest to fight injustice and to speak up for the people who can't speak for themselves. Kindred spirits may join her on the road to world harmony at her blogs: Peace Begins at Home — The Wisdom Well of Love — The Power of One and All Things Zen Her email address is {email judges4.4@justice.com}judges4.4@justice.com{/email}. © copyright 2006 by Debra J. Gordon