THE AWFUL GRACE OF GOD

      At first glance these words seem to be contradictory. As I was watching a documentary about Robert Kennedy today, I heard the phrase.

     And I thought it was the most paradoxical contradiction in terms I had ever heard. ‘Til I thought about it. And then it occurred to me. It registered.

     “The awful grace of God.”

     Though this is not primarily a reflection on the Kennedy family, I think they have something to teach us. Their lives spoke louder than any words. And they were flawed, imperfect people, as we all so well know, this far down the line.

     But I think they were People of Impact, and that their heart yearned to make a difference.

     For as Ted reflected at Robert’s funeral.

     “Some people see things that are and say ‘Why?’ I see things that never were, and say, Why Not?”

     But for all our plans, and for all our dreams, there remains that awful grace of God. That grace that provokes us, that dogs us, that forbids us to understand; (or so it seems.) For it is good for us to realize that everything to which we are exposed must, of necessity, be first approved of God. Job learned that lesson well.

     That awful grace of God.

     I love that verse that reminds us, “But God is faithful. And He will not allow you to be tempted above that you are able. But will, with the temptation, also provide you a way of escape.” (1^st Cor. 10:13, KJV)

     My wife and I have borne the most consistently awful things over the past several years. Our endurance has been threatened at every turn.

    For one of our daughters has experienced the most grievous marital problems, a second daughter developed a painful, and almost untreatable physical condition, a third daughter suffers from the chronic effects of Schizophrenia and retardation, our grandson had open-heart surgery, two grandchildren were born with congenital eye problems, my wife has endured four surgeries, (including two related to breast cancer), and both her parents died this past year. I have experienced a melanoma and resulting surgery, (“Not to mention” three direct hits from hurricanes; during a memorable period of a few weeks).

     The awful grace of God.

     But among those who will be disciplined by that awful grace, those who will dig deep into the wellsprings of all that which Never Changes, hope remains and joy endures.

     And while such circumstances can never be counted easy, and though all those awful question marks remain, he that is disciplined by that grace is happy. Yes, as strange as it may seem… happy.

      None of us can know the end from the beginning, and all of us will be exposed to “that awful grace of God.” But it is grace, nonetheless.

      One of the best commentaries I ever heard about that awful grace was discovered on the Antarctic continent, in a tent, in a letter… in the pocket of a dead man.

"We are playing a good part in a scheme arranged by God, Himself, and...all is well!"

by William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "Musings." Copyright 2010

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