A Canopy

Grace--nothing less than the favor of God

In the shadow of the cross, I find a canopy of grace
which never fails to shine its light on my life.
Wait.  Light within a shadow?
How can this be?
I like to think of it as a pocket--a hidden shelter of protection.
Without the shadow I am exposed to accusation.
Without the cross of Jesus, I find no escape from God's wrath
and no strength of the Rock.
How sweet is God's favor which warms my heart in light!

Grace, like the sun, remains constant
while my life experience, like the earth, shifts in its seasons and cycles,
causing the light to approach at various angles, displaying shades of color.
As I move through life's experiences, grace reveals itself in various hues,
producing a deeper understanding of its completeness in my life.

At times, grace beams vibrant and intense--as at my mother's funeral.
God's grace was so strong I felt I could reach out and touch it.
Yet at other times, grace comes subtle as the pink in a morning sunrise,
which, if I am not looking, escapes my notice...
the dawn of summer's kiss in a baby's soft face,
the gentle birth of my youngest daughter.

Shades of grace are all around me.
Through the Spirit and the Word, God is living and full of movement in my life.
At the same time, God is stable and unchanging--
like rock cliffs... immovable,
displaying holy fire as they glisten orange red
in the sun's triumph over the thunderstorm.

In this canopy of grace I find my truest delight--the shadow of the Almighty.

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