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You know the story of Jesus with the woman at the well? The Pharisees wanted to condemn her. Jesus said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." The next verse says, "And he stooped down and wrote on the ground." (John 8:7-8). I've heard this passage in sermons often through the years, always focused on sin and judging others.
This morning, though, I am struck by the last half. "He stooped down and wrote on the ground." He didn't point fingers. He didn't lecture and reprimand. He wasn't hurried or rushed. He stooped down. He wrote. He waited. Patiently. Even though the Pharisees did not deserve his patience. Even though, technically, the woman DID deserve the punishment. He wrote. Patiently.
That image is caught in my head. My Lord, who knows all my faults -- every punishment I deserve and every stone I throw. He waits. Patiently. Until I understand.
Grace. This story -- not even shared at the conference (at least not in any session I attended) -- is my heart's takeaway. My Lord, Jesus, loves me. When I'm casting stones. When I sin. When I doubt. When I procrastinate. When I'm overzealous. He loves me.
Lord Jesus, fill me with your grace. Help me extend grace to others like you did for the woman at the well. Fill me with purpose to reach others with your message of love, grace and forgiveness. In your precious name I pray. Amen
**Maybe someday I'll share specific things I learned. Today, I share my heart.**
10 comments:
I am so super proud of you!
My favorite part of this post:
"My Lord, Jesus, loves me. When I'm casting stones. When I sin. When I doubt. When I procrastinate. When I'm overzealous. He loves me."
Posting this one on my mirror for a while!
♥
-D-
beautiful. not even sure i want to post this comment, simply because my response is one of awe and silence..in view of the beauty of this picture! As I read your words, I could see Jesus bending down and lovingly waiting. I'm taking that image with me today.
thank you :)
I know what you mean, amykat. It's just sat on my heart all day. That's when you know it's from God -- you know?
Be blessed. Let me know how this impacts you in the future.
God bless!
What a pretty place you have here on the web! I was at She Speaks this weekend and I feel like I'm still processing it all too. I look forward to following your story - to see what God has planned for you! Blessing. :)
This is beautiful Karen. I love the picture of Jesus waiting patiently. I have a hard time remembering that Jesus loves me even though I...(fill in the blank). It must be the first child in me:O) Thanks so much for sharing your heart. You write so beautifully and you inspire me. I love you my friend!!
Jenn
Loved this post! His amazing grace will never cease to amaze me. Thank you so much for sharing your heart. It brought both conviction and encouragement to mine. The perfect combination!
I, too, enjoy the story of the adulterous woman, and I was reading that story recently. It is indeed a great reminder of the grace the Lord shows us. This is certainly a good message to receive from She Speaks. I hope you'll share other reflections soon.
Jesus waits in love and grace. As a fellow She Speaks attendee I can remember a time in my ministry when I thought I was waiting on God...until I realized He was waiting on me. He is so incredibly patient. Thank you for this beautiful post!
What a great post, I enjoyed your insights and words of wisdom. Thank you.
It's so neat how what God wants to tell us sometimes seems totally unrelated to what we expect to learn...He's just that big!
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