Telling Stories of God's Grace & Mercy

“When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.” (Luke 8:34-39 NIV)

The technician doing my echocardiogram (a sonogram of the heart) last week said, as she was reading my chart notes, she wondered how I was able to come to the hospital on my own. Until she came to the part which revealed my aortic valve replacement surgery last spring. The condition of my heart six months ago, as revealed by the last echocardiogram, was so poor that she concluded I was unable to do much physically. When I told her that I had exercised regularly and had hiked up Grandfather Mountain, among the highest peaks in North Carolina, she literally gasped. She couldn’t believe I was able to such things with the very poor heart function I had.

I found out how bad it was last spring and, since, I have reminded myself, and been reminded, just how much grace the Lord showed me. There were literally dozens, if not hundreds, of times when I unknowingly put myself in grave danger, such as hiking up Grandfather Mountain. My valve could have, and perhaps should have, failed due to the exercise regimen I kept. Yet, that pre-surgery exercise was what helped me recover so quickly and so well because I was in great physical condition as I began my rehab. 

Like Jesus commanded the man delivered from demon possession, I told the technician this, and have told many others, to let them know how much the Lord has done for me.  A lot of people like to give me credit, because of my hard work and dedication, but the reality is I was close to dying and my commitment to exercise increased that likelihood. But the Lord spared me and took the very thing that should have exacerbated my condition and turned it into an asset for my recovery. Even as I type this, I feel “blown away” by the reality of what He has done for me.  It has not grown stale from repetition, but still carries the same emotional and spiritual weight it did from the beginning.  

I also have plenty of other stories to tell regarding the things God has done for me. And I tell them because it glorifies Him to do so. It is a way to put a practical face on the grace and mercy of God for people who are skeptical about how much the Lord really loves or cares.  What about you? How has the Lord shown you grace and mercy in your life? Are you telling anybody? 

Today, know the Lord wants you to tell those stories.  It is a way to show your appreciation to Him, as well as revealing to others just how awesome He is.

© Jim Musser 2017