#AmazingGrace

There is a hymn that many know:

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.

You might be able to hear the tune in your head when you read those words. You might be able to sing all 6 verses. Or, maybe you’ve never heard the song before. The story behind the hymn is amazing too. But it’s not just a story for the history books. Amazing grace is a story in my life too.

Let me give you an example.

I was married before. I wasn’t always a good wife. I was pretty self-centered and didn’t know how to communicate well. And when conflicting work and college schedules had me feeling lonely, I’d just fill that hole with another activity. A dance class. More work. Home improvement. Time out with girlfriends. I focused on myself and want I wanted. I never really heard what my first husband needed. After we separated, I felt alone, unloved and unlovable. I found my way back into a church and it’s there that I understood how loved I was. The stories I’d heard at Christmas and during church visits with friends became real as I understood what God’s love for me meant in Jesus Christ.

As I began to embrace that grace, I got another chance at marriage. This time, it was a marriage in which God was the center of our relationship and our family. I was loved. And I could know how to love another person in the way he needed to be loved. Even though our marriage isn’t perfect, I get the chance to see Racer through the eyes of God. That changes the way I approach him. He is a good match for me, making me slow down when I want to take on more. Reminding me that we need time together, not more to do. Loving me even when I act in ways that are undeserving of his love. Giving grace when I need it.

God’s love, that second chance at marriage, those opportunities to love and serve… That’s Amazing Grace.

What’s your #AmazingGrace story?