From Grace to Grace; Graced to Life

Grace: favor; good will.

The free and unmerited love and favor by God.

This is my first blog in a couple of months, but I won’t say that I’m back and better than ever because that would be really cliché of me. It just doesn’t feel authentic. In the past few months, my life has seemed like a whirlwind. I am a full-time student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a daughter, sister, friend, and servant. During my season of difficulty, I forgot who I am. The events that added me up to me looking in the mirror and not knowing whom I was left me feeling like I was having an identity crisis and although it felt like a personal internal battle the events were only triggered by what was happening to me. The first event was a friend of mine committed suicide. I find it so hard to believe because I grew up with the young man and his sister. We all ran in the same circle growing up and it was heart-breaking. I will admit that his death personally affected me like never. I have never been tearing apart from a peer’s death. I knew it bothered me because at night and in my free time I would find myself wondering about it and my heat aching. It affected me so badly, I had dreams.

The next event has been significant in my present season and is still affecting me. On April 14, 2019, I was in a car accident. Well my brother and me. That weekend was crazy. Lol. I can’t say I remember like it was yesterday because it was a little over a month ago. For that weekend, I decided to come home from Milwaukee and attend the Black Women’s Expo in Chicago. The BWE is held annually in Chicago with a host of workshops, entertainment, and vendors. I planned to attend with my friends, but they flaked. So instead I still went home, and my brother told me he would drive me. On Saturday morning, we woke up and hit the road. It wasn’t the best out, but my brother reassured me that it was fine. The day went by and he dropped me off at the event and he went to visit some of his family.
We got on the road around 7:30 pm and the weather was much better.

Although the road was still damp from earlier that day. Around 9:00, my brother and I were 15 minutes away from being home a car rear-ended us. It was so fast, so life-changing, it was in a blink of the eye. The speed of the car plummeted us forward into a railroad crossing pole. My brother was furious, and I was in shock. I felt two things after the wreck: (1) I asked, “God why me?”  and “Why do all these things keep happening to me?” and (2) I was extremely grateful. My brother and I were alive. We had no external or internal injuries.  However, I still drive but I do still find myself anxious to drive. This world is crazy, and that wreck really shook me up.

In the verse below illuminates a true depiction of Grace. Romans 3:21-24 reads “But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as promised in the writings of the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Through the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ, we are given eternal life, but it is not until we believe and receive the salvation that we are truly made right with him. The verse alone speaks volumes on how messed up we are as humans. We all have sinned and fallen short in the eyesight of God. However, no matter how far we may feel and how big we have fallen nothing shall separate us from God. Whew! Just take a minute to soak that in. It also says that no matter who we are, God is not a respecter of people. He loves and creates us all. Regardless of sex, race, or status. There is not one person that will be favored over the other. The scripture closes by stating “Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins.” (Romans 3:24 NLT).  Interestingly, God freed us from our sin and extended us grace.

Another important verse regarding grace is 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 and I read “But he said to me, My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast even more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Essentially, this verse states that our weaknesses our perfected in Christ. Think about when you are going through it is probably the last thing you want to hear but that is when GOD can work and truly has your attention.
He works best when:
1)    We are broken
2)    Hurt
3)    In pain
4)    Offended
5)    Persecuted
6)    Insulted
I applied this to my situation and it means that although I have had a rough couple of months that is not the end of my story, it is still being written. As hard as it may be, I can rejoice in my present struggle and find have me imperfections perfected in my weakness.
1.    Grace is a gift – nothing you can ever pay for! (Ephesians 2:8)
I am living testament that YOU are not a product of your past, your struggles, or your circumstances. YOU will come out on the other side perfected in grace! Recently, I came across a quote that has resonated with me is “Until God opens the next door, praise him in the hallway!” – Unknown. But the quote is eternally true. Many of us are miserable and it is my opinion that Christians shouldn’t walk away miserable. We are miserable without lives and the enemy has robbed us of our joy, peace, strength, and will power! One of my favorite verses us 1 Corinthians 5:10 “But by the Grace of God, I am what I am and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, it worked harder than any of them. Yet not I, but the Grace of God, I am what I am. At this point in the text, Apostle Paul speaks about his spiritual journey and how he worked harder than any other apostles because of who he was. Keep believing God for what you are trusting him in.
1.    Spouse (Desiring God)
2.    Career
3.    Physical Experience
4.    Career
5.    Life

2.    Your past didn’t kill you and thank God you don't look like what you been through. Your life may not be going how you wanted, and you may look at delayed goals and opportunities as rejection, but it wasn’t. Everything that I perceive negative or not has a purpose!

3.    God’s hand is on your life, you must be patient!  (Psalm 27:14)

As always, Be Encouraged!
Love, Nikia

Founder of TPM Ministries