I do not deserve anything. I am unrighteous (Romans 3:10) and a sinner (Romans 3:23). How blessed (Ephesians 1:3) to be able to say with confidence, “I know I am saved by the grace of God” (Ephesians 2:8-9), to be able to sing “Amazing Grace My Chains Are Gone,” (Colossians 3:15-17), and to rejoice in the assurance of heaven (John 14:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Another grace gift that I do not deserve is the blessed privilege of marriage. That blessing is increased by virtue of God placing us in ministry together where we serve side-by-side. As I pastor, my wife is my faithful ministry companion who prays for me, disciples ladies and children, and makes our house a welcoming place to bear one another’s burdens. In the midst of grace-enabled ministry, we both understand that our first ministry is to each other.
Therefore, in what is usually a busy time of the year, we begin the holiday season by visiting a local coffee shop. There we pull out our calendars and schedule dates that help us set aside time to continue to build our marriage so we are fit to minister to others. Hence, we are preparing to clip more grace coupons.
Yesterday was one of those dates and it included a trip to our favorite restaurant in Pigeon Forge, TN, The Old Mill Pottery Cafe and Grille. We like it so much that while attending the Couples Advance in November, we enjoyed their scrumptious food three-days-in-a- row. (We got others hooked on it, too!)
Then we spent the rest of the afternoon and first part of the evening in one of our top five favorite places . . . Dollywood. How amazing to walk along hand-in-hand in the midst of a gazillion Christmas lights, sit through three shows that unashamedly gave the gospel, and to be entertained and welcomed in a wholesome way! Oh, by the way, the coffee and warm, fresh cinnamon roll was good, too! Brrrr, it was cold outside!!
Truth is, there’s no one I’d rather share these grace gifts of God with than my wife. Sometimes, we are just like two kids again just soaking up the moment!
We returned home refreshed, blessed, closer to each other, and ready to clip more grace coupons as we minister to others today and through this Christmas season! God is good! Grace is sufficient!
From A Pastor's Heart 