聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 "Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I shall return鈥� (Job 1:21).
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 We spring into life in a natural way. We move with nature鈥檚 rhythms and we follow the whims of our inclinations like grass, 鈥淚n a field / Behaving as the wind behaves鈥� (T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men).
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But there is more to life. We know inherently (from the Latin word meaning 鈥榓dhere to,鈥� with the root 鈥榟aerere鈥� meaning鈥榯o stick鈥�) that there is something within us, something essential that is more than grass.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 We move from grass to grace, from the primordial (meaning 鈥榝irst order鈥�) ooze from which we spring up, towards the immortal reality. Sinner to saint, we move. From nature鈥檚 will to God鈥檚 will, we move.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Scripture reminds us of our mortality, our utter helplessness without God:
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淵ou brush men away like waking dreams,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hey are like grass
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪prouting and flowering in the morning,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲ithered and dry before dusk鈥� (Psalm 90:5-6)
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢an last no longer than grass,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淣o longer than a wild flower he lives,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥ne gust of wind, and he is gone,
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淣ever to be seen there again;鈥� (Psalm 103:15-16)
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 We can choose to be 鈥渉ollow men鈥� or 鈥渟tuffed men鈥� as in Eliot鈥檚 poem.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥ur dried voices, when
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e whisper together
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎re quiet and meaningless
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎s wind in dry grass
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥溾�n a field
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ehaving as the wind behaves鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This was our world, our fate, until God intervened with the prophets and the birth of Jesus. Then the world changed forever.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In her book From Grass to Grace, Esther Obasi-ike reveals different dimensions and levels of grace. She narrates life stories of men and women graced by God. This revelation informs the reader of the reality of grace and how best to embrace the incomparable grace of God.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淕od's grace is an indescribable and unspeakable spiritual gift such that everyone should have a first hand encounter of this amazing love. The stories of creation, revelation and redemption are conceived, born and sustained by grace. Through the ages we see grace in action as individuals, families, communities, nations and the world at large resound their walk with grace.鈥� (Internet source)
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Our growth is our task. With heaven鈥檚 help we move from that spiritual infancy at birth, where we were literally bare or empty, to the finished product, the saint, the immortal 小蓝视频.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Our tools come from God: 鈥淏lessed be God the Father... who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ鈥� (Ephesians 1:3). Paul lists other gifts such as our freedom from sin, and the riches of His grace.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And when is this task, this growth complete? When we have laid down our lives in service to the final degree. In the life of Jesus we see the completion of the human movement to grace, to the divine. When He had done all that was to be done, including giving up His life on a cross, Jesus said, 鈥淚t is finished.鈥� (John 19:30)
