I can’t help but think of God’s grace when I see a cardinal on a snowy winter day.
Arctic air lay across our mountain with brutal, bone-chilling cold. Oyster gray skies heightened the frigid air by reinforcing the dim light of winter sadness.
I tucked my feet beneath me on the couch and spread the warm fleece of a blanket over me. Sipping coffee, I stared out over the barren landscape. Green grass had long since turned brown and brittle. Trees with branches bare stretched with yearning toward the winter sky, perhaps requesting sunlight to warm the sap within.
As I fought to keep my thoughts light-hearted and focused on those things worthy of praise, a rush of movement outside the window caught my attention.
The word grace drifted across my mind.
A cardinal, bright with crimson praise, swooped across the skeletal branches of the old apple tree. Then another. And another. Three cardinals skipped through the barren branches. Moments later two bluebirds — a male and a female — joined the cardinals. They quickly found the bluebird house attached to the apple tree. I squealed with delight! And then … then a red-headed woodpecker landed at the base of the tree and started hopping up the trunk in search of a meal.
What joy! What a precious gift from Abba — my Daddy God.
He knew I was in need of joy that day — joy, and a gentle reminder of His abiding presence that watches and cares for my every need. A gentle reminder of His abundant grace that pours out like rain and meets every need with sufficiency.
Isn’t it amazing that the Lord my God, Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, took time to send me a simple joy right when I needed it? Isn’t He good? And most likely, only the Lord could have known how absolutely delighted I would be over a gathering of cardinals, bluebirds and a lone woodpecker … all at one time!
John explained it better than me, “For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]. For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ.” ~ John 1:16-17, AMP
Grace upon grace …
Our God is no respecter of persons. The kind, personal things He does for me, He will do for each of us if we will just believe. And expect. And make Him our first love.
There is no love like the love of our Father. It’s because of Jesus that we can know His extraordinary love.
And His amazing grace on a bitter cold winter day.
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Do you know Him? Would you like to experience His abundant grace, forgiveness, and restoration? You may contact me directly at nan@nanjones.com. I would love to pray with you and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, answer your questions.
This is a beautiful, heart-warming post. God always knows exactly what we need when we need it, doesn’t it? I’m so grateful! 🙂
You are so sweet. Thank you for your kind words. And yes! God ALWAYS knows 🙂