Road Grace
Blessings for the Journey
by
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Forgiven - Again
Matthew 18: 21-22 “Then Peter came to him and said, ‘Lord, if another
member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As
many as seven times?” “ Not seven times, I tell you, seventy-seven times.’” (NRSV)
I was raking leaves on a beautiful fall day. The tree above me still
had about a third of its leaves. A passing cyclist called to me, saying
“You’ll just have to do it again!” It was already my third raking, and many
leaves remained overhead. I agreed with him. I kept dragging the fallen
leaves to the curb where the leaf vacuum truck could remove them.
As I worked I considered my life from God’s viewpoint. My sins
threaten to bury my life as the leaves do the lawn. God “rakes” my soul,
leaving me cleansed and forgiven. But before long I sin once more and
seek forgiveness yet again. Does God hear Satan saying, “She’ll just do it
again?” Nothing discourages God; I am forgiven as often as I ask. God’s
graciousness is larger than my need for it.
Prayer:
Thank You for Your endless patience and for Your repeated,
generous forgiveness. When I am frustrated with the behavior of others,
remind me of Your endless grace. Let that same grace flow through me in
Your name.
Amen
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About the Book
The idea of ‘road grace’ was born when I encountered road rage in a driver whose face and gestures made me glad the windows were rolled up. In contrast, many other drivers accommodated cars entering the freeway or changing lanes. Their graciousness fostered a momentary community among us. I recognized these interactions as ‘road grace’. Once I learned to look for it, I found it common on the highway and in other settings.
Road Grace: Blessings for the Journey reminds us that each of us is a beloved child of God. The harried driver, the checkout clerk, the patients and the receptionist in the waiting room, the lawns, fields and roadside flowers; all of creation has value.
We live in a distracting, rambunctious world. It is easy to lose
sight of God in the bustle of our days. Road Grace offers meditations sharing glimpses of God. God is always in the picture, but is sometimes difficult to locate. Road Grace is a field guide for God spotters.
About the Author
Barbara Thompson’s unique voice springs from a deep
love of God, summer ranger talks in national parks, thirty years in a junior high science classroom, a quirky view of life and a buoyant sense of humor. Thompson’s life is based on her conviction of three truths:
The world is a gift from God.
God loves each of us and seeks to reach us in any way possible.
God is present to us in creation and in the ordinary events of our lives.
Barbara is a certified lay speaker in the United Methodist
Church. She preaches, gives children’s sermons, and serves as liturgist. She sews, plays the harp, sings aloud under the cover of the lawnmower engine, travels with her husband, tends her cats and listens for God to sing back.
Thompson has a BA in biology an MST in earth science and has
completed the Writing as Ministry program at the Earlham