—a hot steaming bowl of steel-cut Irish Oatmeal doused in butter, cream, a sprinkle of Cinnamon, and my wife's fig-strawberry jam...
—a brother who isn't afraid to bare his soul as he struggles with learning how to distinguish between his own voice and the Voice of God. It was added grace when this brother graced my family with a box of Fuji apples.
—news from my doctor that my blood-sugar and cholesterol levels are under control...
—an Episcopalian priest's thoughts on theology and food which can be found in his book entitled "The Supper of the Lamb." (btw, his name is Robert Farrar Capon.) Here's food for thought from his book: "Man's real work is to look at the things of the world and to love them for what they are. That is, after all, what God does, and man was not made in God's image for nothing. The fruits of his attention can be seen in all the arts, crafts, and sciences....how much curious and loving attention was expended by the first man who looked hard enough at the insides of trees, the entrails of cats, the hind ends of horses and the juice of pine trees to realize he could turn them all into the first fiddle." (p.19)...
—a box from Japan which included the costume Jason will be wearing for a film we are planning to shoot sometime in March?
—dinner (ravioli, pasta salad with seasoned shrimp, real butter, bread, tossed salad, house dressing, and apple crisp with vanilla ice cream for dessert) at a neighbor's house where we got to meet and compare notes with a young family who will be heading out soon to Japan as missionaries.
—etc. etc.
And how did I respond to all these (and many more) manifestations of grace? I ate, drank, shared, spoke and listened to, read, looked at, and received it all (well...most of it at least) with thanksgiving.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!
Under Grace,
Martin
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