Grace to You

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure

Last weekend was difficult. My dear mother-in-law is undergoing cancer treatment. Right now, she is getting chemo, radiation, and they are backing off another medication, because it was having bad effects.

We went to see her on Saturday. For the first time since I’ve known her, she was not a picture of grace, patience, and serenity. She was truly miserable. Job came to mind several times that day. She kept her husband and daughter on their toes. Though I tried to help, she didn’t really want my help.

(I think that's because she is not used to me care-giving. I was able to coach them on some positioning strategies. As she is bed- and chair-bound, she is at risk for developing pressure ulcers, and that is my specialty, so maybe I was able to help in that way.)

I got to thinking, though. “Performance” has often been a part of the Christian life for her. Even though she is a Bible-believing Christian, and is close to the Lord, she gets hung-up on the concept of works and being good enough. My husband has often tried to encourage her from the Word, that since we can never be good enough, we need grace. And we receive grace. But the works philosophy has been ingrained since she was a child, so it is hard for her to let go of the concept. She feels she needs to do more and do better.

Now, sadly, she is not able to do more and do better. Instead of living out her Christian life, she has reached the end of any of her abilities. She is managing to just survive.

Today, the words to this song came back to me. I heard it a lot growing up. But it is real to me in a new way this week. Here are some of the words:

When we have exhausted our store of endurance
When our strength has failed, ere the day is half done
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving has only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

From “He Giveth More Grace” by Annie Flint

As a believer in Christ, do you struggle with works vs. grace? Is is hard for you to trust that your salvation is really secure in Christ, without you adding in the good things that you do. When you fail, do you worry that God cannot forgive you now? The Word of God says He is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory, with exceeding joy. (Jude 24) He wrote your name on the palm of His hand. (Isa. 49:16) You are loved with an everlasting Love. (Jer. 31:3)

Praise the Lord!

Works of God Weekend: Answers While Waiting

...God is not absent, even when we are waiting. Just in the past few weeks, we have seen God at work.

This is my first time to post a "Works of God" post. I have meant to before, but since it is the weekend, other things always get in the way. So I’m writing this on Wednesday to post later, and that way it will get done.

This is a low time for my husband and I. His mother was recently diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Currently she is back and forth between different doctors to find out if the brain tumor is a primary brain tumor, or something from another cancer that has spread to her brain.

So there is a lot of pain, and just the anxiety of waiting. Waiting to find out how bad things are. We already know that it is bad, because she is so weak.

But God is not absent, even when we are waiting. Just in the past few weeks, we have seen God at work. Here are two very personal ways He has ministered to me, and my mother-in-law.

When she was first diagnosed, we came to see them for the weekend. They live out of town, but only about an hour-and-a-half drive. Saturday afternoon, 17-month-old Bubby was needing a nap. My mother-in-law asked if she could rock him. I gave him to her, but I was not hopeful. He still nurses to sleep most of the time. His other method for getting to sleep is the kick-wiggle-thrash method. I just prayed, “Lord, please just let him go to sleep for her. This is very important.” Bubby got still right away, and it took him about 60 seconds to drift off! She held him and rocked him for a long time, until she felt like he was getting sweaty and we decided to put him down on a pallet in the dark bedroom. What a simple, sweet answer to prayer. Praise the Lord!

The second answer to prayer was in a ministry that God revealed to me. My sister-in-law lives with them, but she her job requires four 10-hour days a week. She doesn’t get home until around 6 pm. Since my mother-in-law is not strong anymore, it is too much for her to fix dinner for them. My sister-in-law is a great cook, but she has to come home after a long day, and start dinner, which might not be done until 7 o’clock or so.

So I was able to put together a few freezer meals. Cooking a frozen casserole is the easiest thing in the world, and I wanted it to be super-easy. But I was worried because my father-in-law is not a casserole guy. I did make some mini-meatloaves and soup that would cook quickly, but I chose some casseroles that did not have weird vegetables in them. They were created with much prayer that they would be a blessing to the family. Since then, I’ve gotten two phone calls from him, just saying how great the casseroles tasted. He still admits that he is not a casserole guy, but he said, “I’m learning a new way to eat, and it’s pretty good!” Again, just a simple, sweet answer. Thank You, Lord!

Yes, I am still praying for a huge, enormous miracle. But I know that God is at work, even in the small things.