Grace Received

When my career collapsed, and my criminal behavior as a fraudster came to the surface, my father came to realize that I had also stolen from him and used his money to take care of my needs.  In front of my recently widowed dad was future financial uncertainty as well as a son that was digging deep into a life of alcoholism and destruction.  It would have been easy for him to give up on me and focus solely on his situation.  While it seemed he faced with a choice, the reality was that he had no other options to weigh. He chose to treat me the same way Jesus treats us all, with forgiveness, love, and grace.

Before I even had a chance to ask for forgiveness my father came to me, hugged me, forgave me, and said he would stand shoulder to shoulder with me all the way to the end.  He was a man of his word. Up until he took his last earthly breath, he supported me and cheered me on as I resurfaced into a life of restoration and redemption.  The toughest challenge of my climb back has been the ability to forgive myself, but I am thankful for the model my father set. It reminds me that if Jesus gives me the grace that I feel is underserved, I need to both receive it and pass it on to others.  Christ has redeemed us, forgiven us and loves us.  Because of that, we need to follow the same model.  Allow the love and grace of Jesus to overflow to you today as you seek to follow the path He paved for you.  

DO THIS TODAY: Forgive yourself and forgive others!  Today will be a good day!