God’s amazing grace

About a month ago my friend Harry Dapron sent me the story I am sharing with you today.

Reading it, I quickly knew it would be my final column of 2020.

This year has been challenging for everyone. The story that follows reminds me of Jesus’ parables, probably fictional, nevertheless containing a nugget of incredible spiritual truth.

While shopping at Walmart, a lady heard a loud crash. It soon became obvious a fellow shopper had bumped into a display and created a colossal mess.

Other customers were whispering and looking at a mortified older lady who had apparently bumped into a shelf with her cart which had collapsed, destroying numerous items.

The embarrassed woman was on her knees frantically trying to clean up her unintentional disaster without the aid of a broom, dustpan or trashcan. Though many shoppers were staring, no one was helping.

The lady telling the story knelt beside the distraught woman, told her not to worry and began to help her pick up the broken merchandise.

The store manager soon arrived and said, “Leave it, we will clean this up.”

The embarrassed senior adult offered to pay for the broken items, but the manager kindly smiled, helped her to her feet and reassured her, “No ma’am, you do not have to pay for anything!”

Although I have never destroyed a shelf full of merchandise at Walmart, I make a mess of things far more often than I care to admit, and I know I am far from alone.

Although our messes are not identical, I can picture God coming alongside each of us like the store manager as the shopper was desperately trying to clean up her mess.

Sometimes the messes we encounter are beyond our control.

As we conclude each year, but particularly 2020, each of us will be well served to imagine God kneeling beside us and saying, “Leave your mess with me. I will clean this up for you.”

That is the hope God offers through his remarkable grace.

The apostle Paul described it this way, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NLT)

All of us have created more messes than we want to admit, but surprisingly God’s forgiveness is available to everyone.

The fresh start God offers is not based upon our efforts to make things right, but is offered as a free gift to those willing to accept his undeserved mercy.

God’s amazing grace seems too good to be true, but surprisingly it is offered to each of us.

Tim Richards grew up in Fairdealing and previously served as associate pastor of Pilgrim’s Rest Church there. He currently serves as a pastor on the staff of Concord Church in South County St. Louis.

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