Jesus-Grace

Every night I've been reading to the girls from Paul David Tripp's advent devotional, Come, Let Us Adore Him.  It wasn't really written for their age range, so I've been simplifying it a bit as I read, and as always, Sofie and Lily have lots of thoughts to add throughout.

Last night, he had us thinking about how we would summarize the Christmas story with one word, and for a while I thought my stab at grace was what he was going for.

And in some ways it was, but in the end it was Sofie's classic Sunday-school answer of "JESUS!" that Tripp had in mind.

Not because God's grace isn't what Christmas is beautifully all about, God, fulfilling His promise, God, not leaving broken broke, God, not allowing us to crumble under judgement but to be one with Him through grace--but because, as Tripp emphasizes, grace is not a thing...it's a person.

I know that doesn't seem all that revolutionary, but after we sang 10 choruses of "No more monkey's jumping on the bed" for Nora and 3 of "Bad, Bad Kitty-Kitty" for Lily and "O Holy Night" for Sofia, we all lay in the darkness while I prayed for the girls, and I realized that the thought of grace being JESUS had me praying differently.

It was unmerited, beautiful GRACE that was born that night. As I prayed for our needs, I asked God for His GRACE in our lives, for His SON in our lives.  As I prayed that we might show each other great love and patience and grace, it was that we might show each other JESUS that I was praying.  I need that grace this season of my life, which is the same thing as needing that Jesus.  The grace I've been freely given and the daily grace I seek is not a thing...it's a person.

A person who HAS me, who KEEPS me, who KNOWS me, a person I intimately know.  I intimately know and walk with GRACE-come this Christmas...praying that you do, too, and that we all dwell in Jesus-Grace this season.

And I'm praying it for Jean William and Rujerry.  With the continual work and grace of many, my desk is overflowing with bank accounts information, Haitian passports, proofs of insurance in French and in Italian, formal invitations from workers in Italy in two languages, and visas to the Dominican (to get to the Embassy) and bus tickets and then some.  They finish their final exams today and then head to the DR for their appointments for travel-through visa's on the 11th.

I'm humbled and touched by all of their sacrifice, already, by all of their hard work and patient appointments and travel adventures...all things that are EXTRA challenging to do in Haiti.

I'm humbled and touched by their continued desire and willingness to GO, delaying their last semester of their senior year, leaving their home and their friends and their families for a whole lot of hard and heart-wrenching work in a place so far away that no one can imagine.

I'm humbled and touched by your graciousness to support them financially, to support them with your prayers.  I'm humbled and touched, and unable to make anything else happen.

May our prayers be MIGHTY this weekend and Monday as they travel and meet with the embassy.  It is hitting us all that we are the verge of something that NEVER EVER happens, happening.  Haiti is on the verge of sending missionaries to an incredibly challenging place in an incredibly challenging hour to a people that GRACE WAS SENT FOR, and they do not even KNOW this Jesus-Grace.

We're about to send grace where great grace is needed, about to send Jesus in Rujerry and Jean-William where Jesus is greatly needed.

This is and has been a great leap of faith, and we need mighty fasting and prayer for this last major obstacle to crumble under the hands of the God who has done far more impossible things, like Christmas.  

THANK YOU for praying with us.