Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believedMy chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace
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18 responses to “sometimes we need a reminder”
amen. amen. and again i say, “amen.”
Amazing…in every possible way!
Here’s a story about this song from my crazy life…..just for you Anne.
On National Porn Sunday I taught a lesson about pornography to my high school Sunday school class. I shared earlier that week the depth of my struggle with my best friend..who is also the youth minister. (There was more grace there than I could have ever imagined, for the record.)
I did not share my personal fight with the students…lots of reasons there as you know, but I did read a journal entry to them from years earlier as I wrestled with all the emotions and heart issues related to it.
We went to worship and the choir sang this song. Needless to say, it was a water works affair! For the first time I understood what it meant to FEEL loved by God. I knew about the love and believed I was loved, but at that moment I felt like God came down to Central Texas and held me close.
I really felt like the chains were gone…completely. I experienced the flood of mercy and love.
Thanks for reminding me Anne!
which always reminds me of
Isaiah 41:9-10 (English Standard Version)
9you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
10fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
I was having a “mom can’t do anything right, I’m overwhelmed, and I need a break” kind of days the other day. A year ago I would have leaned on “crutches” to get through–I instead without even thinking turned to God and prayed….and at that moment in my car, Chris Tomlin came on the radio singing this song….God definitely speaks in so many ways!
I am sitting here reading, typing and preparing for a funeral that I am doing tommorrow. Thanks for the reminder! The family wants me to share The Lord’s Prayer! Another reminder that it’s so much more than something that we say with our kids at bedtime.
Do you agree with this statement…”It is very likely that the only amount of grace that you are able to receive is the amount in which you are willing to give.”
I said that to someone the other day to a father whose daughter had been raped. It was a horrible circumstance but now it is turning him and his wife into bitter people. I am not sure that grace was ever supposed to be understood one way.
I think the cross is a teacher more than a statement.
Grace is Amazing…when we receive it, it makes us long to give it and if you aren’t, then you don’t understand it.
What are your thoughts?
Grace….an energy that comes from the Divine Source…a Higher Power!
And do we ever need to be reminded! Thank you, Anne!
That is, by far my favorite song of all time.
And I love this by Dwight Edwards in his book, “Revolution Within”
“Years ago, my family first visited the Grand Canyon. It was a beautiful, clear day, and the sheer majesty of the sight before me took my breath away. So did the shortage of guardrails. Our young boys naturally wanted to race to the very edge and look over. My instinct was to hold them back, safe from any danger of falling. I was only too glad to describe the beauty to them if they would stay back ten yards or so. Somehow they didn’t like that idea. After all, to get the total impact, to fully appreciate the canyon’s awesome beauty, you must go right to the edge. Grace is like that. If it’s to take our breath away and significantly possess our lives, we must go right to the edge – where the overwhelming astonishment of grace and the potential abuse of grace linger side by side. All too often, the church has erected safeguards and restrictions to keep people back from the danger of abusing grace and falling into license and lawlessness. In doing so, we create an even greater danger – keeping people’s view of grace so distant that they fail to have a breathtaking appreciation for the real thing.”
Reminds me of a tune….”You Know it Makes Me wanna… SHOUT!…kick my heels up and SHOUT!…..throw my hands back n’ SHOUT… aliitle bit louder now (SHOUT) a little bit louder now (SHOUT)..Heyeyeyey! Heyeyeyey……!” Something like that, now I’m tired :)
Amazing Grace is one of my favorite songs. I was shocked to see a video of a group of KKK in full white and black robe regalia singing it soulfully around a burning cross. I thought about that for awhile. It reminds me of the all too common accusation us non-aliens level against God. “How can God be love and allow all this evil in the world?”. What need for grace would there be if we weren’t made with the ability to choose? Knowing the depth of evil that man is capable of, I’m humbled by the grace I still feel shine through that song. Despite the evil men try to mask God’s grace with. God chose not to make robots. He chose to make man. I guess we just have to accept the grace to live with that choice. Whether we understand it or not. IMHO, as always. (grin)
Blake-I’m so sorry for the situation the people you are helping are in. Grace is so hard to give when your trust in mankind has been broken (especially in traumatic matters like this). I think that you can extend grace to someone, but sometimes that means allowing them to go through the circumstances their actions entail. Like in your case, having the rapist prosecuted and punished in a court. They can still move forward with that but you’re right, if their hearts are bitter, it’s not being done with grace. Kinda like tough love I guess. My heart breaks for them though.
Ironic. We just watched the movie ‘Amazing Grace’ last night, so the song is on our minds!
I have learned more about grace and forgiveness by seeing it in my daughter. Her attitude toward some persons’ unforgivable acts toward her, challenged me to attempt a similar journey in offering grace and forgiveness. In the meanwhile, I dealt with nightmares, bitterness, and huge cravings for revenge. It took me YEARS to learn what was simply natural for her. God really brought good out of a couple of repulsive situations.
This is probably my all time favorite song. It just speaks to me in so many ways.
“My chains are gone, I’ve been set free.”
My sins have been forgiven and I am now free to live with God. I just love that!
this song is probably my favourite right now. it is the cry of my heart and speaks of the freedom and grace that we have through Christ.
I love it!
Just saw the movie Amazing Grace this weekend…wow…very powerful.
I would LOVE to hear U2 do a version of this song!
I found that I was unable to give grace because I didn’t understand how to receive it. And then I realized I was living a lie in not giving grace to others. I thought I was worshiping God with my music, even though I wasn’t loving others. “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.”-1 John 2:9. I get it now. I once was blind, but now I see.
God is good…all the time!