Granted I’ve gone through a somewhat convoluted process to reach this resolve (... to thank God this Thanksgiving and all year long.) But it’s been worth it because, once again, I’ve come to the fundamental fact of our “faith.” Our God favors us! Call it mercy. Call it grace. Call it love. Ultimately it’s “the Lord’s favor.” And, you must certainly know, most if not everything we can think of to be thankful for is the by-product of mercy.
One of the best-selling books in the late 70’s and most of the 80’s – an actual “best seller” for 4 years – was written by a Psychiatrist; M. Scott Peck. His book was titled, “The Road Less Traveled.” To me the most amazing thing about Dr. Peck’s book is that he devoted an entire section of it – 14 chapters of it – to “Grace.” I find it quite remarkable that a psychiatrist would even acknowledge, let alone celebrate, “Grace.” But he does. In one of those 14 chapters, “The Miracle of Health,” he writes, “We know very well why people become mentally ill. What we don’t understand is why people survive the traumas of their lives as well as they do. We know exactly why certain people commit suicide. We don’t know, within the ordinary concepts of causality, why certain others don’t commit suicide … An individual may suffer a single, relatively mild attack of ulcerative colitis … recover completely, and go on to live through life without ever again experiencing this difficulty. Another may have repeated attacks and become chronically crippled by the disorder. A third may … go on to die rapidly from even the first attack … The amazing thing is not the failures of the resistance system; it is that the resistance system works as well as it does. In the ordinary course of things we should be eaten alive by bacteria, consumed by cancer, clogged up by fats and clots, eroded by acids. It is hardly remarkable that we sicken and die; what is truly remarkable is that we don’t usually sicken very often and we don’t die very quickly.” He continues in his reflection on what he acknowledges as the “truly amazing grace” that surrounds us. It is remarkable “not simply that certain people at certain times in their lives are accident prone; it is that in the ordinary course of things most of us are accident resistant … Although [this whole variety of phenomena] generally regarded as separate, I have come to believe that their commonality indicates that these phenomena are part of or manifestations of a single phenomenon: a powerful force originating outside of human consciousness which nurtures the spiritual growth of human beings. For hundreds and even thousand of years before the scientific conceptualization of such things as immune globulins … this force has been consistently recognized by the religious, who have applied to it the name of grace. And have sung its praise. ‘Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound …’.”
Reflecting on this marvelous truth today I am inspired. God wants us to live long and well; forever, in fact. Furthermore He’s created a universe in which we can. Evidence of it is all around us. Dr. Peck shows us some of that evidence. As I examine my life now in the light of “Amazing Grace,” I must acknowledge its influence in even more personal ways. This year our 8th Grandchild was born. His name is Luke James Denison. Check out the middle name! And he is well; very well in fact. He is Jonah’s Brother. Jonathan and Larina say his disposition is, thankfully, much more mellow than Jonah’s though he’s not a traveler. Our first Son, Jim, his Wife Korenne, and their 3 Sons, Samuel, Evan, and Kaleb, have made the radical decision to leave a position with salary and benefits to plant a new Church. They’ve had to sell their house and move to a new Community – Canterbury an hour away from where they previously lived. They have no guaranteed income. They’ve already been able to purchase a new house and are finding provision daily. Shirley and I are in the same place financially. We have no guaranteed income. But everything we’ve needed has been provided. Before this year ends we will need an exceptionally dramatic demonstration of our Lord’s provision due to some living expenses that have been generously held over ‘til then. Still we live in the embrace of His AMAZING GRACE! Jason and Ingvild, and their 3 Kids Marissa, Maddie, and Ethan, survived the wildfires in Spring Valley – Greater San Diego. They were evacuated for a night but spared any loss. We work with parents, often, who are brokenhearted over what has become of their Children. We have 3 great Sons who are walking with, working with our Lord. Their Wives are exceptional partners who seek God passionately too. They are great Mothers and beautiful, delightful people. They are highly competent professionals. And, of course, the Children they’ve borne are the smartest, fittest, most beautiful and delightful in the world! Why should we be so favored? It is, simply, “mercy”!
Our business venture, “destiny:Life!” is gradually expanding. Our Board of Directors continues to stand with us, despite the financial challenges, and believe in us; our vision; and the Lord who has called us to it. We have a small but growing group of spiritual partners who pray for us and give money to support us and our work. More opportunities for speaking, teaching, mentoring, writing and caring for people are coming available. And always we are being inspired by our Lord as we prepare to declare, to our world, that “LIFE IS REALLY ONLY LIFE WHEN IT’S LIVED JESUS WAY!”
Above all of that, we are deeply grateful for a continually new awareness of God; His presence; the wonders of the world around us; and the expanding influence He’s trusting us with. While Shirley’s battle with migraines and an issue diagnosed as parathyroidism concern us, this spiritual well-being truly is “our strength.”
We are most highly favored and on this “Thanksgiving 2007” we sing “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!”
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