Letter writing is an art form that unfortunately is becoming a thing of the past. It's not the same as sending an email. And cannot remotely be compared to a text. I'm referring to the old-fashioned, hand-written letter with a stamp on the outside of an envelope that is delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Yes, that antiquated art form. Funny, one of my daughters asked me the other day where she could get a stamp. And she didn't mean around my house. Like she had never purchased one so she didn't know were to go to get one, or two, or a book of them. I do remember taking them to the Post Office when they were little. But I'm sure they don't have any clue why we stood in that line. Even the letters we do get in the mail, are typically junk mail on letterhead and we skim over them to see if there's anything necessary before we shred them or pitch them in the trash. Some of them I can tell before I ever open the envelope... with that fake handwritten ink on the outside of the envelope. I realize it's not from someone I know, so I don't even read it. But what if you got one... a REAL letter? Would you take the time to sit down somewhere quiet, away from the hectic pace of the day and really absorb what your friend or loved one had to say to you? Because they took the time to write it out, it must truly be something of great importance. Do you remember the last time you got a letter like that? Did it begin formally with a greeting of some sort? Dearest Lisa... Greetings from... Hoping you are well... The personalization would vary, of course depending on how you were acquainted with the sender. I was actually reading such a letter earlier today. Mine had been printed. But in its original form it was hand-written, most likely not in pen, but on some sort of parchment. These words on the page clearly poured over and measured out in a language I don't speak. But it has been translated and carried across many lands so that I could open it today... yet careful not to skim past that greeting. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1:3-5 NKJV How often I skim past these opening lines of the letters of Paul in my effort to get to the deeper subject that I believe he has to teach. When these words he writes in the greeting could be a lesson in, and of themselves. For Paul dearly loves these people. He had spent time teaching them as he built up a body of believers, about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and how he had a personal encounter with the Lord on the road as a blinding light. So Paul certainly knew first hand what this word GRACE truly meant. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ This wasn't some churchy word he threw around casually. To him, GRACE was a blinding change in his life from persecuting Christians in the most zealous way, turned radically toward winning souls for Jesus and adding to the church daily. So when Paul writes of GRACE as a greeting, he is offering it as it was offered to him... the Lord's favor freely given, leaning forward for all to receive. Now this PEACE also is not just throwing up of our first two fingers like those of the 1970's might do. This was the Greek word eirene which meant "to join, or tie into a whole." And when all the essential parts of us are put together, we are much less frazzled people, less distracted, less disjointed, less discouraged. The prefix "dis," as a matter of fact, means apart. So any of those words that make life more difficult for us, beginning with these three letters, are actually the opposite of PEACE. Because they are not allowing us to be joined together in wholeness. This to be certain is what Paul was calling for the people of Galatia. GRACE and PEACE Are these things that we, in our own power, are able to gain and master in our daily lives? Well, I'm pretty sure I've tried without success. I'd like to say that is the case for most of us. But I do know... that God is a Master at both of these. In fact, He is able to bring them about in our lives when we are willing to give into Him, to give over to Him, all that we aren't. And that is Paul's greeting summed up. Jesus willingly gave Himself for us that He might deliver us from all those things in this world that pull us apart, that cause us to be a messy pile of pieces. Maybe I shouldn't speak for you, but I'll confess that I'm a messy pile of pieces... often! I may not always look it on the outside, but boy do I feel it on the inside! And when I open up my heart, mind, soul and spirit to God and release these pieces to Him, He can join them together into the wholeness... PEACE... by leaning into me with His love and GRACE... the favor He willingly gives without reservation. All I need to do is accept it. It is a free gift, no strings attached. How thankful I am that Paul greeted us so well, so simply but so profoundly in this letter to the Galatians. Today, I am going to receive GRACE and PEACE, knowing that when I lean into Him, He is leaning into me! Word of God train me today... To slow down and acknowledge Your greetings if wholeness and favor, leaning into You. To give You all the random pieces of my mess, knowing that You can join them together to make a masterpiece out of me.
1 Comment
Mandy Burlin
11/13/2016 09:38:29 pm
Love this and oh so true!! I have said these 2 words a lot lately!!! Have grace and mercy on us and give us peace!!!
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January 2019
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