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Morning Walk on The South Hill - Essay

Walking in Manito Park is always a pleasure but especially on a gentle July morning.  The formal gardens of Duncan are just beginning to enter their summer glory. This summer has been especially hot, and the begonia are huge and red.  The black eyed Susans are in full flower already, and the petunias shine.  I took a path along the few dirt trails in the park, winding through the new and lovely shade garden with hostas, ferns, and some unplanted beds of what I hope will be native shade lovers.  As I wind up the Perennial garden, I spy a ligularia planted beneath a Ponderosa.  Its yellow flower spikes are faded but iridescent in the shade.

I walk quickly up the hill and decide to continue into the surrounding neighborhood.  I’ve walked in Manito Park hundreds of times, but less often in the neighboring streets.  As I cross Bernard, I enter a heavily shaded area. The first half dozen houses are lovely matching white colonials with large windows and well proportioned dimensions. I stop and gaze at the silver maples planted in front of one of these houses. It is a different species than the weedy Norwegian maple that have self-seeded everywhere, and unlike most trees on the South Hull, it has been carefully pruned, probably 20 or 30 years ago; the branches are marvelously decorative and spread out, giving light through the leaves.  Further down the block are some adorable cape cod houses with their steeply pitched roofs.  Like the homes, the trees there are also older: beautiful sycamores, with their mottled bark of grey, beige, and copper line the street. As I turn the corner there are more cape cods, then, on the next block, the craftsman homes begin. Each one unique with the colors and materials used: brick, stone, and wood, with tapered pillared porches, paned doors, and low pitched roofs. One front yard is planted with a gay display of bright pink, violet, and blue annuals and perennials which I have to stop and admire.  Then comes a monstrosity.  A 70’s or 80’s house built among these craftsman beauties. It is boxy, plain, painted bright blue, and has a flat roof, and no decorative elements anywhere. What were the builders thinking?

As I head back to my car, I take a longer route to a yard sale, but it’s a baby sale: strollers, cribs, clothes: it would be a perfect sale if I was 35 years younger and pregnant.  Spokane is a beautiful city.  This South Hill neighborhood in particular reminds me of the lovely midwest neighborhoods of my youth.  As I walk, I muse on my weekly bible contemplation.  I am contemplating Grace.  I am dieting (again) and had eaten very low calorie for a couple of days and was not feeling deprived.  This is grace, I realized.  God giving me the power to do what I ought.  It was like the Holy Spirit was showing me his name, his character: Grace.  I felt and feel incredibly grateful for this gift of grace, in not just dieting, but in everyday life.  Anytime I choose to do what is good over what is bad, is Grace.  Grace has been called the undeserved and lavish favor of God.  Amazingly there are only two requirements to receiving it: believing in Jesus Christ and in being humble (Ephesians 2:8-9 & James 4:6).  

Paul often prays that this grace be multiplied to followers of Christ. In Romans 5:2, he refers to it “as the grace by which we stand.”  I have been a Christian for over 30 years. I am just now contemplating and trying to understand Grace.  Perhaps that is why my Christian walk has been full of troubles.  I was not fully walking in Grace.

Yesterday I saw a photos on the internet of 2 street signs crossed. One said Mercy and the other, Grace. In scripture, Grace often partners with mercy and often with peace or power. “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy and grace to help us when we need it most,” (Hebrews 4:16).  In Romans 1:7, and many other verses, the Apostle Paul says,“May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.” Grace and power are mentioned together in two places: Ephesians 3:7  “By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.”  And in Acts 6:8,“Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.”

All these qualities in the above passages are ones that I need, that the church needs.  And the connection I will make is that the more I believe in the Lord Jesus (which requires humility, for he is Lord and I am his servant), the more grace, mercy, peace, and power I will receive to further glorify him.

Grace is also convicting.  I was starting to approach God for my singleness - thinking of a friend who, like me, was a never married single woman with 2 children born out of wedlock.  God brought her a husband who provided and protected her and her children, so she did not have to raise those children by herself.  Why did God not provide that for me? How much better would have been the life of my children if I had had that. And haven't I proved to be more faithful? In grace, he rebukes me. He taught me things that I could only have learned in my singleness, certainly my faith has grown because of my utter dependence on him. I also made some grave mistakes with my children; I often fed on despair and food, rather than His grace and mercy.  At times, I was self-indulgent. Grace reminds me that I cannot boast even of my faithfulness. I only stand in him at all because of his gift of grace and mercy, not by my own merit or works, (Ephesians 2:8).

As I reach my car, I think about what I will eat for breakfast and how many calories it will be.  I am tired from my walk and refreshed at the same time.  Jesus once said he didn’t come to save the righteous people but the sinful ones. The sick ones who knew that they were in need of a physician.  Grace is the ointment that heals the sick. Grace is the salve that touches our soul to make us whole and holy.  Grace forgives us our trespasses, and grace gives us the power to forgive those who trespass against us.  This is why the songwriter said,

“Grace, grace, God's grace,

grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

grace, grace, God's grace,

grace that is greater than all our sin!”