An Unnecessary Grace

friends tell friends about God's goodness in their lives

May 20, 2024

I hope you’ve been ruminating on the prayer, “I’m willing to be made willing,” over the last several days. It seems that the Spirit is almost always speaking to each of us about the next right thing, and oftentimes obedience can feel a little daunting. We tend to focus more on all of the unknowns that could follow our “yes” to God, and in turn, we lose sight of the certainties: that God’s plans are good, that His thoughts and ways are higher than ours, that He can be trusted.

I’m sure you can attest to the fact when we step out in faith, it usually turns out way better than we imagine. This has certainly been true for me.

The week we arrived in Kenai, we began exploring our new city, of course. On one of our first days in town, we took the kids down to the beach. It was low-tide at the time, so we hunted for unique rocks and seashells in the sand, played in the tide pools (turns out that can be a little dangerous — a story for another time!), and took in the beautiful mountain views.

The following day, Nora and I were out running a quick errand together, and on our way home, I spotted a lookout point overlooking the beach. “Let’s turn around and check out the views!,” I said as I whipped the car around. We parked and jumped out of the car, taking in the stunning view of the Cook Inlet and the mountains all around us. Then we noticed a set of stairs leading straight down to the beach! We looked at each other and agreed it was only right to have a spontaneous mommy-daughter beach date!

As we descended the stairs, before we could even see the beach, I could hear the waves. It was different than the day before. It was high tide, and the sound was glorious. “The sound of the ocean is my favorite sound,” I said to Nora. “It reminds me of when Daddy and I lived in Florida and spent most of our free time at the beach.” And suddenly, I remembered.

I remembered how much I loved living by the water in Cape Coral, Florida.
I remembered how I posted a photo on social media of myself kayaking with the caption, “It’ll take a miracle to get me out of here.” [God is still performing miracles, people!]
I remembered how hard it was to trade the sunny beach of Florida for the snowy winters when God called us to Fairbanks, Alaska.
I remembered the summers in Fairbanks, hearing the Chena river rush through town and being reminded of the sound of the ocean.
And I remembered dreaming with Josh about owning a log home on the Chena River someday so I could have the best of both worlds: Alaska + the sound of water.

Spoiler alert: that dream never came to pass. We ended up leaving Alaska in 2020 and moving to another land-locked place. Honestly, I wasn’t even sad about an “unfulfilled dream” because I had forgotten about that dream. We lived in Oklahoma for 3.5 years, and I never once wished I was near the water or felt like I was missing out. I guess you could say the dream had become dormant. Until that day on the beach with Nora when it all came flooding back (no pun intended).

As soon as I heard the sound of the waves, it was like God kindly reminded me, “Remember when you used to dream about this? I’ve done it for you.” Some may say it’s just a silly little wish, but I’ve been calling it God’s unnecessary grace to me.

He didn’t have to do that. He didn’t have to orchestrate that tiny, seemingly unimportant detail in my life. But He did. Because He’s not only Sovereign God, but He is also Heavenly Father. One who is rich in grace (Ephesians 1:7), who richly pours out grace (Ephesians 1:8), who gives grace on top of grace (John 1:16).

Look around you. Where do you see Him? Where do you see His grace?

Maybe you need this reminder today of God’s nature: He is a good Father, the giver of all good and perfect gifts, knowing everything you need and everything you desire, orchestrating good plans for you, calling you to trust His character and enjoy His grace.

[Want to dig a little deeper on this topic? Read Matthew 6-7:12.]

Fire on the beach with new friends? Yes, please! We've learned that when the sun is shining, you run outside and soak it up! Also, my kids’ new favorite words: “I’m not cold.” We’re constantly telling them to grab a hoodie or put their coat on, but they’d rather not. The best is when it’s 50 degrees and sunny and they say crazy words like, “It’s hot out here!” I guess they’re true Alaskans!

My Bookshelf

I read in phases. Usually I crush 20-25 books within a handful of months and then I don’t feel like reading for a while. (School usually has a little something to do with that.) I’m enjoying a slower pace these days and have been finding a lot more time to read or listen to books.

Recently finished:

Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer — Five Stars. Add it to your shelf now, friends.
Made for People by Justin Whitmel Earley — A great book on community. Pairs well with Find Your People by Jennie Allen.

Currently reading:

Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard - Per my hubby’s recommendation! It’s a fantastic read, one that requires a whole lot of digesting.
The Women by Kristin Hannah - I’m a sucker for a really good historical fiction book, and I’ve really enjoyed a couple of Kristin Hannah’s books in the past, so I was excited to finally have my turn on the library waitlist for this one! Any other HF recommendations?

On the docket (two books that I started reading weeks ago and haven’t finished):

Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Staton
Open and Unafraid by W. David O. Taylor

Zeke just began his baseball career and had a great first game! His coach let the boys pick “walk-out” songs, which made it even more fun for the crowd to watch and cheer (and sing and dance). We loved the small-town fun!

Life-Giving Lately

Song: Called Me Higher by All Sons & Daughters — I’ve heard this song many times, but it came on while I was washing dishes the other day, and the lyrics struck me. I encourage you to listen to it, but here is the line that stopped me in my tracks: “ I could hold on, I could hold on to who I am and never let You change me from the inside…but You have called me higher, You have called me deeper, and I’ll go where You will lead me, Lord”

John 1 — Last week, I decided I wanted to read through the Gospel of John, and I haven’t made it past chapter 1 yet! I keep rereading the chapter (even in varying translations) and started digging into a few commentaries. I’m captivated by the way John uses his life to point to Jesus. And I’m captivated by the way Jesus calls people to follow him.

Teaching with Josh — Before the summer gets crazy here on the Peninsula, Josh and I are leading a short Bible study on Ephesians. With all of the recent transition, it seems like it’s been forever since I’ve had the opportunity to teach, whether that be in a classroom, at church, or in a small group. I’m grateful for the opportunity to do this alongside him and to study the Word alongside our new church family.

Speaking of teaching, I accepted a 5th Grade teaching position at an elementary school close to our house! The kids and I are all excited about making new friends at our new school this fall! Halle will be in Kindergarten, Zeke will be in 3rd Grade, and Nora will be in 4th Grade. But first—we will enjoy summer!

Halle randomly devised a plan to throw her dad a “surprise best dad ever” party, so we made him a strawberry cake, bought three different kinds of BBQ chips (his favorite), and roasted hotdogs over a fire. We also played a hilarious game called “Crunch Time.” Get a few different types of chips. One person chews a chip very loudly and the other person guesses which kind of chip they’re eating. I hate mouth noises, but it was hilarious.

I’ve had such a fun-filled week receiving so many e-mail responses and comments from the last newsletter! I’ve been able to hear updates from several of you, and I even got some photos of your kids and families. It was like Christmas Cards in May, but even better because I actually got to chat with so many of my friends! Keep it coming!

Until next time,

Lindsay

One more thing because it’s cute…