“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10

Question to self: Am I any closer to understanding grace now than when I first started recovery many years ago? I have heard countless messages on grace, read books about grace, have heard wonderful definitions of grace, and yet I don’t fully understand grace. The Bible tells me grace is a gift based on our faith, not on our works. That can be hard for me to grasp at times. I think we tend to be more focused on who we are. I have received God’s grace and rejected it, relied on it and taken advantage of it, knowing the cost that came with it and yet have cheapened it by taking it for granted. Maybe the reason I don’t understand grace is because I make it about me, when it really is all about God. My very limited mind can’t comprehend what I am not supposed to understand. It’s faith, not intellect, that draws me into God’s grace. God’s love isn’t dependent on my love for him; we love, because God first loved us. I guess I have come to a conclusion that living in grace is much more important that trying to understand grace. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” Thank you, God, for your grace. It is enough! “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (Message Bible) “And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns.” Philippians 1:6 Love God. Love each other! Dana Cramer Celebrate Recovery // Crossroads Church