All His Grace

By: Joanne Viola

I was blessed and did not comprehend how much until I was an adult. I grew up in the church and Jesus was included every week. Born into a family where the adults played the piano and organ for the worship, and also were Sunday School teachers, meant we were in church several times a week. I have the Sunday School pins to prove it.

Youth group was held every Friday night and we learned about pursuing Jesus amidst all the fun and laughter teens have when they gather weekly. Youth group provided the avenue for me to meet my husband and begin a journey all my own.

Only as a wife and young mom did I begin to wonder if this was all there was to life. Were my days to only be filled with working and tending to a home and baby?

I had a head knowledge of God and a heart that loved Jesus, but I had not yet fully learned to engage with God in and through the pages of His Word.

Marriage and motherhood made me pursue God through His written word, as I quickly discovered there would be no way I could do either apart from His help. How did I even think this could be possible?

Over the forty years of marriage and thirty eight of motherhood, I have learned to depend on God and His wisdom. Some days I have gotten it better than others as I am still a work in progress.

But His Word has become the source for me: the place I go for answers, for comfort, for peace, and for stability. His Word calms my anxious soul like nothing else can.

Here’s the thing about having grown up in the church …

There was always someone telling their story of how they had made wrong choices and God changed their life. Those who had fallen, and been restored, were held up and admired; and their stories were truly amazing. God had stepped in and turned their lives around to be productive and for His glory.

But their stories left me feeling like I had no story; as if there was nothing unique or special within me. My life was simply ordinary. It was the lie the enemy had cleverly managed to present as truth and I believed it.

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32, NLT)

The years have passed since those days. The ups and downs in life have taught precious lessons and I have learned of the character of God.

God is faithful,
God is good,
and all God does is for our good.

He has given my life a story, one I have come to love, appreciate, and cling to dearly …

Saved by grace and,
kept by His grace.

Each of our lives – all His grace!

~*~*~*

This week here at W2W Ministries, we are doing a series called "What’s True About You!" Each day our writers will share their testimony of what God has done in their life, and what’s true about them. We're doing a beautiful Dayspring giveaway which includes Holley Gerth’s new book, “What’s True About You”, a journal, and a journaling kit. Be sure to enter by clicking HERE. 

Photo by Rachel Lynette French on Unsplash