Monday; April 30

          Last weekend I had the chance to go to a theme park with the family.  I really enjoy the water rides, so as the day began to wind down, a few of us decided to give it a try.  As I stood in line I began to notice the people who were exiting were drenched – not just wet, but soaked.  Well, I wasn’t going to be dissuaded by other people’s bad fortune, so I stuck it out and, sure enough, I got drenched!  As we got off the ride we noticed the “family dryers” stationed around the area.  While the idea sounded good, I wasn’t going to spend more money to get dry ... no matter how long it took me to dry naturally.  Well, our granddaughters’ other grandpa came to the rescue and paid for us to get use the dryer.  A few years ago, I might have been stubborn and not used the dryer since I didn’t pay for it, but I graciously (and thankfully) accepted the gesture and got a little drier. 
          As I reflected on Roger’s gift it got me to thinking about how easy it is for our pride to get in the way of us enjoying blessings.  Are we too stubborn – and too focused on “paying our way” – that we ignore or refuse to accept what others are willing to do for us?  Maybe the most important manifestation of this question comes in our spiritual lives.  Are we too focused on “earning” our spiritual reward that we  overlook the Godly gifts of forgiveness and salvation?  The Bible reminds us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
          Are we struggling to accept God’s grace?  Maybe we can learn to be more gracious to God by allowing others to help us in this life.
          Think About It!

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