An Abundance of Grace

My reflections on 2017.

As this year draws to a close, I wanted to put what I feel about everything into some coherent form so that I might be able to share it with those I care about. Over this past week, I have started and restarted this piece multiple times in order to find the right words to say.
Words are strange like that. Almost always present but never the right ones until after the situation has past.
But, much to my satisfaction, I have found the words that summarise my year in a poem written by another.

Written in 1863, during the American Civil War by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, this is the last stanza of his poem titled ‘Christmas Bells’:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!”

I don’t exactly know what Longfellow was trying to say but, for me, his message is clear. No matter what is raging on around, the truth will resound louder. God is not dead or inactive in this world. He has a plan to restore all things under Christ. He shall prevail.

As I look back on the past 12 months, I cannot deny that God has taught me so much about Himself and His plan for me over the course of the year through the Word. His character is much more wild and amazing and beautiful and crazy and complex and perplexing and all together awesome than I could ever fully understand. I will never be able to wrap my head around the God who created, sustains, up holds, and wills all things to exist.
Yet, I think I learnt to most about who He is from the people He has called to be His own.

I’ve been so privileged to be part of the Bridge this year. I got to spend the past 10 months hanging out with and growing in faith along side 38 other Christians my age. My time studying would have completely different if even one person wasn’t there with me. It has been through them I have seen God’s grace and mercy and joy and love. I have seen Christ lived out. Despite our broken, sinful nature, we have all been made holy through the blood of the Son.

C.S. Lewis once said:
He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.
Lewis speaks a truth that I have seen over the course of this year. The love that Jesus has shown me, He has shown all who have been around me. He died for the individual. He died for everyone who is a Christian. He died so that we can be a family by His blood.

I remember one time, I was arguing with my brother about being friends. In his head, being friends was really important. Yet in my head, a brother is greater than a friend. Friends you choose, mostly. Friends come and go. But family, family is for life. I would lay down my life for my friends, but I would live my life to be worthy to be part of a family. To die for something or someone is easy. Yet to live for something or someone, that is hard. That takes effort. That takes the character to endure all things for the sake of the rest because of the love you have for them.

So, if I had to summarise my year down into a few sentences, they would be this:
God is Sovereign. Family is not about blood but about faith. I am saved. Always saved.

Amen.