kingdom – Page 3 – Eyes UP look OUT

GRACE…

It changes everything.

“One Way Love” by Tullian Tchividjian has fuelled the thoughts that follow.

I don’t think I will ever tire of learning to live in His inexhaustible Grace. In fact, I think there’s so many elements to grace that even if I tried, I don’t think I will ever fully comprehend it’s vastness – to everyone!

Grace is amazing – when it’s extended to us.

Grace is offensive – when it’s extended to the people we have a hard time with.

Grace is hard to get our heads round.

It’s hard to get our heads round, because the God view and idea of grace rarely plays out in real relationships. His idea is simple – show me your worst (whilst you were still sinners) and I will advance towards you (Christ died – offered all of himself to re-establish connection to the world).

Typically our experience outside of this type of grace is – show me your worst, I’ll try my best to love you in the mess, but when you hurt me and it gets personal, I’m outta here. As much as we want to understand and extend grace – heavens grace – our struggle will always be fully giving it without condition. Even if the condition is to bring a good change – it’s still a condition. It still has strings attached – I love you, but want you to ….. and the list can be endless.

The grace we often offer comes with conditions. It comes with an agenda. It comes with manipulative intentions.

Deep down – we struggle to believe that God’s love is extended to us because he is love and not because we are lovely. The sorriest among us can’t quite believe His love covers “everything” we have done. It’s too good to be true, that everything is covered in this exchange. The self-righteous amoung us (of which I can totally affilaiate with), can’t quite believe there is “nothing” we need to do to get this love. NOTHING.

In our state of “cant quite believing” – we can find ourselves accepting grace – but still working at behaving “right”. Grace with works – a total torture.

I am reminded today – a Sunday – a day of rest – that His grace is His grace, extended to mankind because He is full of grace not because of us, full of ourselves. Our right standing before God, is found in Christ and Christ alone before we do anything right.

I am reminded that Christ in me, full of grace – can offer such grace to the people around me.

To love the way He loves.

To love without conditon.

To love without prejudice.

To love beyond the expectations I place on people.

And thank God, there is grace in the learning.

You are loved – therefore go love.

What a summer Team Boyd have had.

Our 2nd time as a family spending 7 weeks on the road with Aaron, making the most of our time together with a mash up of vacation and tour time.

I have to admit, the language I used pre this time went along the lines of…. “we are heading on holiday, and Aaron has to do some music things in between and I have to speak at a conference for part of it and then we get to holiday.” But as the end of our trip is close approaching I’m embarrassed that I had the whole thing separated and compartmentalised.

The idea that we had to do…..

and then we get to….

now seems stupid.

The best thing about being away with Aaron is that I get to see him in action. I get to see what life on the road is like. I get to meet the people who are like 2nd family to him, and now us. I have been so impressed by his ability to lead people into a beautiful sweet spot of worship whilst encourage them to make a difference in the world. Whether it’s to 10 people or 10,000.

This has definitely been a trip with a difference. I have loved every opportunity we have got to share Jesus and his kingdom, both formally and informally. I am once again blown away by the generosity of people, both towards us personally and the cause we shout loud for.

Aaron had (that word again) a goal of raising $30,000 for an organisation that is so incredibly dear to our hearts – WORLD ORPHANS

We saw $40,000 come in, along with a match donor making an incredible achievement of $80,000 towards this amazing cause.

And we GOT to be a part of that.

We are so thankful for everyone who has been part of this adventure.

To those who have hosted us – thank you.

To those who donated to World Orphans – you are legends who have changed a child’s life in a way that you may never fully understand – thank you!

I will no doubt write about my incredible time with the ladies at The 61 Exchange conference. For digging in with us, being vulnerable and allowing us to hear your stories – it was an honour and a privilege.

So my thought today is simply this – we don’t have to do anything. We get to. We get to be the hands and feet of our Father, just like Jesus, showing our planet what an incredible king He is over a beautiful kingdom where he wants us all to be citizens.

I shouldn’t have to go to the other side of the Atlantic to realise this truth, but sometimes a change or perspective is all it takes to shake us up for purpose.