A Special Act of Grace

Joy and contentment can seem so very elusive at times. Two weeks ago, there was a tragic accident in our neighborhood. His name was Bradley. He was 8 years old, and he was riding his bike to school for the very first time. His Mom was following to make sure he made it safely. He did not. This evening there will be a memorial at the Coto Sports Park to celebrate the short life of a child who was described as a sweet young boy with a kind and generous spirit. A boy who loved flowers and despite his young age, made the effort to create flower arrangements to raise money for charity.

I usually wake up joyful and happy, but sometimes events in our world make that hard to do. When tragedy strikes, I try to remember that it’s not for me to understand why bad things happen. My responsibility, as a father, grandfather, husband, and friend is to know that sometimes things are beyond my understanding, and that I need to be an example to those around me of how faith creates strength, and strength can be shared.

I read somewhere that it requires a special act of grace to accommodate ourselves to every condition of life. A special act of grace that will give us an even mindfulness through every circumstance and help us to find joy when everything around us screams sadness. I don’t know why bad things happen to good people. But I do know that joy and contentment are not found in circumstances. They are only found through faith and trust in God above. That I am sure of.

So this morning when I woke up, I prayed for the family of young Mister Bradley. That their memories would be long, and that their grief would be short. And that somehow they would eventually be able to find joy in their lives despite their terrible loss. And as I prayed, I remembered that our heavenly Father knows what it’s like to lose a son, a son who also took joy in flowers, just like Bradley.

Contentment is not found in circumstances. 

Contentment is found in a Person, the Lord Jesus.

~ From “Diamonds in the Dust” by Joni Eareckson Tada

Joy

By Donna Ashworth

Joy does not arrive with a fanfare, on a red carpet strewn with the flowers of a perfect life.

Joy sneaks in, as you pour a cup of coffee, watching the sun hit your favorite tree just right.

And you usher joy away because you are not ready for it.

Your house is not as it must be for such a distinguished guest.

But joy cares nothing for your messy home, or your bank balance, or your waistline you see.

Joy is supposed to slither through the cracks of your imperfect life, that’s how joy works.

You cannot invite her in, you can only be ready when she appears. And hug her with meaning,

because in this very moment joy chose you. 

Gray Areas

Many Years ago, as a young man of 35, I wrote down a set of rules for myself. I decided at that time to let my faith guide me, but to also create my own personal moral code that I would strive to live by. The basic foundation of those rules could be summed up very simply as, “Always do the right thing”.

Sounds easy right? Not really. As I look back on my life, I can see that there were plenty of situations where I struggled to determine the right thing to do. Most of these troubling situations involved relationships with people because let’s face it, human beings are complicated creatures. But sometimes a question regarding right and wrong will happen when you least expect it, in a way that is unexpected!

I went to a Chase Bank a block from my house to get money from the drive through ATM machine. When I pulled in there was a fancy gray Porsche 911 in front of me. I guess the guy was having trouble because he got out of his car and started pressing buttons. He was taking a long time, so I started scrolling through my phone. Finally I looked up and he was gone, but when I reached the ATM machine, there were hundred-dollar bills going in and out in the cash input slot. The bills just kept moving back and forth, so I decided the guy in the Porsche must have been trying to make a deposit and the machine messed up. I grabbed the money, quickly made my own transaction, and then spent 20 minutes driving all over the shopping center looking for the guy in the gray Porsche.

I finally gave up and drove back to the bank. I spoke with a teller and asked her if the bank could figure out who it was that tried to make a deposit in front of me. She said that wasn’t possible, but if someone eventually a claim, they might be able to figure it out. I said, “Great! Here’s my name and number and if somebody files a claim, please give them my name so I can return the money. She said she couldn’t do that. She said I should give her the money. But when I asked her what she was going to do with the money if nobody filed a claim, she went silent. That’s when I decided to try to find the guy myself.

Two weeks have gone by now and no luck. Despite posting ads on social media and the local Coto de Caza website, and constantly driving around on the lookout for that very unique vehicle, I haven’t been able to find the guy. At this point I wonder if the guy even realizes what happened, but the question that bothers me the most is, “Did I do the right thing?” I don’t know, but what I do know is that every time I walk by and see that envelope of cash on my desk, it bugs the crap out of me because somebody lost their money. I guess if I can’t find the guy, I will either give the money to Chase Bank or to a charity.

Moral of the story. It has been said that “No good deed goes unpunished”, and I certainly believe that… because I have been miserable ever since I found that stupid money!

Whether the next generation is to be more virtuous than their predecessors I cannot say. But I am sure they will have more worldly wisdom, and enough I hope, to know that honesty is the 1^st chapter in the book of wisdom.

~ Thomas Jefferson