Today the words dribble out…
yesterday was two full days of work wrapped up in one.
two more days of work to accomplish this day.
Imperfect
unable to perform at the level required
in need of strength I don’t possess…
struggling to find signs of worth…
an imperfect vessel,
trudges through,
in need of Grace.
And a little one full of not so healthy,
spreading a little more than love to me.
Today is now full of demands that the body cannot accomplish well.
An imperfect vessel
trudges through
in need of Grace.
And with so much debate over whether grace saves alone, or grace saves through faith, and if faith is a response or a gift, and if works are required for the “saving”, and if by “works” what’s meant are works of the law of Moses, or simply our best efforts to approximate the impossible demands of the law of love, I’m a little too tired, a little too weak, a little too full of not so healthy to debate.
And I’m thinking that maybe that might be the way it should be.
Not every mystery of God is for us to solve, not every debate requires a win, not every problem seeks a solution, at least not today.
I may return to a more vigorous stance, a more rigorous study, but today too many commitments, too many deadlines, not enough energy to begin the day much less fulfill its promises – or all of mine.
Today is for the soft stance, but one that still speaks truth,
I string together the verses of the two who some say are diametrically opposed, but whose words are clearly united in meaning,
“Faith without works is dead. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
It’s a marriage of James 2:17 and from Paul’s letter to the Galatians, 5:5.
There is context that goes with both verses, but the context only places these two verses in union with each other.
You know I heart my Greek, and you know I heart digging deeply for the details, but today neither the strength is enough, nor the time permitting, nor the necessity present to go any deeper than this.
If I love you, Lord, I will seek to please you, I will seek to do your will. If I love you Lord, I accept your gift of Grace, freely given and costing me nothing in return. I then inch forward in my quest for perfection on the path paved with works of love and lined with Grace.
“Faith without works is dead. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Dear Craig,
Thanks for sharing this. I am in the same place…completely spent. You are so gracious to let your readers know. I just didn’t post. I spent two full days completing something for someone just to have it ignored after the completion. Ann was talking to Hope about where God is when the tsunami or the tornado comes and takes everything away. My “thing” was just so small in comparison, but she was talking right to me through Hope and A Holy Experience. Now at Deep Into Scripture I am learning something I need more than Greek–an example of how to “be” when you have nothing left. I’m glad I stopped by…really glad.
We’ll do “works” another day,
Dawn
PS I continue to pray for your sister.
Dawn, first, sorry so late in responding – but the little one full of “not so healthy” – she gave me a very healthy dose of it – and the sleep is picking a poor time to flare up again. It’s always there, the “sleep thing” – I missed a weekday post for the first time today, that’ll tell you something. Thank you for praying for my sister, she’s healing well, she’s a trooper – but I think the prayer of you and so many others has had a secret affect – so thank you. God bless you!
Praying for God’s hand holding you, helping you. This was a beautiful post. Thank you.
Debbie, thank you, the body is way out of whack today, and you know how it is when you know it’s not a short term thing? This one is not – so here comes trudging along through part
God bless you Debbie – and as always, thank you, really, thank you lots!
“An imperfect vessel
trudges through
in need of Grace.”
Praying that the Lord will continue to give you what you need for this day. Not tomorrow’s needs, or what you should have had yesterday, but what you need for THIS day.
\Michelle, thank you for the prayer, please continue – I really can’t slow down right now in pursuit of the dream – but I am being slowed. This imperfect vessel needs to keep trudging through. So, I appreciate the prayer. I appreciate you being here, and reading, and always adding something. So thank you. I know I say it a lot – but I mean it. God bless you Michelle – and all of yours.
God knows how to do time warp things when we fall short, and He is glorified in it all. I am praying for you and your sister and her little one.
Just want you to know I was here–reading, soaking up, nodding yes, ah-ing a lot, and learning. In the middle of your tired struggles, you took time to stop by my place to encourage me. I am blessed and made stronger by the friendship of so many. I am praying now for an extra dose of Grace for you, Craig. God bless and thank you for the peace you share.
Liz, I heart reading you – and I do miss your words when they’re not there. Tired or not – I grow, and smile, and learn, every time I read you. Sleep? It looks like I won’t be getting much sleep any time soon – but more grace? I’ll take some more of that please and thank you. I’ll take better sleep to, but maybe that’s just a thorn – not meant to go away. And thank you for the kind words – I really have to work on allowing kind words to go past my ears and into my heart. Kind of a “negative voice” thing. Know what I mean? God bless you Liz!!