The Grace of God

It is His Grace That Brings us Through


It was a year ago today that Dawn went home to be with the Lord, it seems as if it were just yesterday. So many changes, so many lessons learned, so much heartache, so much pain, yet in the midst of this trial there has been resounding joy as well. When Dawn left us I knew life would never again be the same, I had many questions, made many assumptions and ran a million scenarios about what lie ahead and most of them were wrong. I spent countless nights and days alone, made many decisions some right some wrong, made promises I didn’t keep, and changes that will last forever, but the only truths that remained was that life would never again be the same and that God is faithful and sovereign. You see until we walk this path we truly have no idea what lie ahead, or how we will react when faced with life’s many challenges, we only know that each day presents itself with new ones. We keep our eye on the Lord after all He has now truly become our all in all, He is the only one that truly understands and He is our only hope. Much of what we do makes no sense to those around us, nor should it, you see we cannot understand no matter how hard we try, what people are going through. Therefore the key to coming alongside and understanding people in pain truly is the extension of grace, the same grace that the Lord extends toward us. I have a far greater understanding of grace these days, a desire to extend it more than I ever have, a passion to be an avenue through which grace flows. I now have a greater understanding of what true grace is, it is so much more than not getting what we deserve as many have spoken. True grace is giving the gift of love in return for anger, the gift of forgiveness in the face of judgment, the gift of peace in the face of war, the gift of service in the face of want. Oh how wonderful it would be if all who believe could learn these lessons without the pain that comes from such great loss, or at least have the grace to love without condition.
My prayer for this year is all of those who have been effected by Dawn’s passing and the resulting events is the same: may the grace of God befall you, and may you extend that same grace to all. To continue to live in the bondage of judgment, anger, bitterness, or fear serves no purpose for anyone, the fruit they bare is simply more of the same, and yes so it is with grace. Grace will bare grace and the fruit of grace is sweet, it is love, joy, peace, it is tasteful to all and a gift worth giving and receiving. If anyone in this world knows Dawn Burroughs it is me, her husband of thirty one years and friend for far more and the one thing she knew best how to extend was grace. She made people feel wanted, needed, and valuable, how? By extending grace! If you truly desire to honor her then you too can do the same, find someone you have judged, someone you have hurt, someone who has wronged you, and extend to them the grace of God. The pain has had control for long enough, take control away and give it back to the one who purchased it all, our only hope, our Lord our King, Jesus our Savior. And if you are one who chooses not to believe then to you I will extend the grace that He extends to me, for but by His grace there go I.

Pastor Gene Burroughs