If you don’t follow Sandra Stanley’s blog, I think you’d like it. She and her husband Andy live in Alpharetta, Georgia and dearest of dear friends with my brother and his wife Chris – my childhood best friend (boo-hoo-hoo – you’re Texans for goodness’ sake – why Georgia?!) And the way our family works – once you get one of us, you get all of us. It’s a package deal. So – sweet Sandra, whether she wanted a new friend or not, is now my friend – from afar. Anyway – she posted the following on her blog this weekend and I asked if I could share it here.I told Sandra that what she shared is:
… so beautiful. And fills in some of spaces on a topic we’ve pondered lately – manna living. What your shared seems to reveal a tip of the ginormous iceberg of God’s goodness..
…
Manna has been on my mind lately b/c we’re clinging to it. Our circumstance isn’t cancer, but it’s a knee-callous-er. So – we literally daily fight to see and to grab hold and to rest in the perfect sustenance of His daily provision that manna represents. Manna may not be outside my door waiting to be gathered, but I think it looks like what you shared today. And you/your friends said it so beautifully.. Thank you for that.
So here you go. Sandra’s post: Grace in the Dark. I hope it fills your sails today. It sure did mine.
Have you ever felt true awe when watching people you know respond to a serious illness or a season of extreme personal difficulty? I don’t mean you just admire their attitudes. I mean you’re awestruck over their rock-solid faith and trust.
Andy and I watched and prayed for Andrea and Josh Smith and their four beautiful young daughters for nearly two years. They navigated the complexities of a cancer diagnosis, identifying a huge malignant tumor in Andrea’s chest cavity. They trudged along through all of the subsequent treatments, side effects, surgeries, scans, tests, and life disruptions that came along with it. Through the entire ordeal, they “navigated” and “trudged,” filled with unexplainable joy and peace—unexplainable, unless you understand, as they do, the sufficiency of God’s grace.
Here’s something Josh wrote during that time. I hope it speaks to you and encourages you. If you’re walking a dark path right now, I hope you find that the truth of this rocks you to the core and gives you that same unexplainable strength in the midst of your journey.
“There is one little statement from 2 Corinthians 12:9 that has been a continual source of encouragement to us. The Lord simply says, “My grace is sufficient for you.” This is not a prayer request. This is a promise. It is a statement of fact. His grace will always be sufficient. We don’t have to worry about this. His promise is sure. There will never be a moment in which we find ourselves in need of more grace than is available. The struggle is never the sufficiency of God’s grace; the struggle is in believing his promise. So, instead of praying for God’s grace to be sufficient, we must simply pray that God would give us the faith to believe that his grace is sufficient. Faith is defined as “enduring confidence in the promises of God.” So today, we are praying that God would give us enduring confidence in the promise of his sufficient grace. We pray you will do the same.” —Josh Smith
Amazing grace, sufficient grace—exactly what we need, when we need it. Thank you, Andrea and Josh, for modeling this for us.
Yes – And thank you, Sandra.
Just like manna:
- gather only what you need (we have to participate – Believe)
- no more-no less
- perfect sustenance every day – “what we need, when we need it.”
Jesus – the outpouring and essence of grace – is manna. Grace IS sufficient. Perfect provision.
Thanks for walking the road with me.
-Kay
