I was picking up a birthday cake for the drop-in center where I work. As I walked out of the grocery store, I realized that the plastic cover on the cake wasn't as firm as I had thought. It had dented in, and I smeared a small part of the icing on the side and top of the cake.
I thought I would go back and see if they could fix it. The lady working at the counter was visibly disappointed; she rolled her eyes and was quite dramatic as she went to work. I commented to the other staff person that she seemed really bothered and said I would gladly pay for the effort of her fixing the smudge. At the time, I actually thought about mentioning something to management because her service towards me was poor.
As I stood there watching the disgruntled cake decorators face, I started wondering about what things she might be facing in her life. Maybe she had a family member that was sick, or maybe she was having financial problems. Maybe she felt undervalued in her work or maybe she just didn't get enough sleep.
At that moment, I changed my mind about saying something to management. I pulled out a $20 bill and some John 3:16 fridge magnets for the two ladies. Ten minutes later the woman presented the cake to me that was perfect once again.
I thanked her for her service and gave her the gift. She couldn't believe it and refused, but I insisted and suggested that they buy coffee and donuts. As I walked away God gave me a reminder about grace. I need it in my life, and I need to give it to others. I could have been that lady, obviously struggling with something and letting it spill over into my life.
How refreshing and humbling is it when we get the grace that we don't deserve? Very! How refreshing and humbling is it to give that grace back that the Lord Jesus Christ showed when He saved my soul? Very! Since my day of salvation, He has shown His goodness, which I don't deserve, over and over again.
As I walked away, I prayed that God would speak to them through the Bible verse that describes His love shown to them on those magnets. I prayed that they would turn to Jesus, if they hadn't already, and accept His gift of salvation available to them because of the cross. I asked God to help me grow in His grace more and look for opportunities to show it.
I love these kinds of moments that make life worth living. Life isn't about the "messed up cake" situations that we face in so many ways every day. We can get so focused on ourselves and forget thinking of others. Life is about knowing Jesus and thanking Him for His grace and letting Him change us as we think of others. It's about showing by our lives how big our God is!
Did you know that God has extended His grace towards you? We don't deserve anything from God because we have gone against His Word. We really don't even deserve the air we breathe. The Bible says we do deserve eternal punishment because we have fallen short of God's perfect standard for our lives.
The payment for our sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). God punished His Son Jesus in our place so we could experience His forgiveness and have a home in Heaven. Now that's grace! God's grace is unearned and unmerited favor; it's a gift God extends to us not by our works but through our faith in Jesus Christ's finished work for us!
Have you accepted the sacrifice Jesus made on your behalf; so you can have brand new life with Him here on earth and forever in Heaven? "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Becky Kew shares
good news at Sandy
Bay First Nation, Manitoba, Canada. BeckyKew@outlook.com.
