I can’t think of a better word to describe my journey thus far. Grace is unmerited favor, an undeserved gift. As I was walking out of church the other day, anonymous donation in hand, I felt so overcome with joy and thankfulness. But then I started to think… I can’t even thank this person! And while we’re at it, I can’t give all of these people who have supported me anything in return. I have had people I barely know give me large sums of money, people give to me sacrificially, and I have had very unexpected people reach out and encourage me. If nothing else, I want to at least prove that I am worthy of investing in! Meanwhile God started to speak to me, this is what the grace I give you looks like.
Jesus died so that we could have his life– eternal life. We can’t pay him back, and we can’t do anything to prove that he made a good decision in saving us. The only thing we can do is receive his gift and be thankful. And the only way you can do this is through humility and recognition that you need him. You can’t earn it. But the funny thing about grace is that while you don’t deserve it, and you can’t repay the giver, it does cause a reaction within you. I have been blessed abundantly and so want to bless others.
So with that I want to say thank you. Thank you to each and everyone one of you who has supported me so far. Be it financially, through encouraging words, through prayer, in any way– thank you. Your support has done more than allow me to to get to all of these countries. It has shown me in an even deeper way what the love of Christ looks like. I have been given what I haven’t worked for and what I certainly haven’t earned. Your display of grace has planted a seed within me that I believe will be multiplied to all of those I come in contact with this next year. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
