Contemplating God's Grace

Yesterday I was having lunch at McDonald's with my wife and a friend. When I went to fill up my soda there was a lady in front of me. She had some type of physical disorder that caused her to shake. I felt sorry for her as she tried to fill up her soda cup. Her hands were shaking so much that she could barely grip her cup. Just as I was about to offer assistance, she managed to get the cup in the right spot and start the beverage flowing. We chatted politely for a moment, with her shaking the entire time.

Twenty minutes later, just as we were finishing our meal, we observed a similar situation. A man in a wheelchair was eating at a table near us. He also had some significant health issues. He kept coughing and also had a lot of tremors. My heart went out to him as I watched him struggle to eat a simple hamburger. At one point he coughed so badly that his false teeth flew across the room. His friend jumped up to retrieve them, as if it was a normal occurrence. I suspect it was. It might have been a somewhat humorous scene, had my heart not already been stirred by the first experience with the lady at the soda fountain.

The lady at the soda found seemed like a kind person. She was well dressed. Yet her body shook constantly with whatever physical ailment that she had. The man in the wheelchair had carried on an engaging conversation with his friend. He seemed like he had a good quality of life. Yet having his teeth fly across the room, something that would have horrified me, seemed normal to him.

As I reflect upon my own life and the good health God has blessed me with, my mind is filled with thoughts about the grace of God. Am I somehow "better" than either of these two people because I do not have a similar disorder? Of course not. It is simply the way our harsh world is. Ever since the curse of sin came into the world, there has been pain and difficulty. Some people are born with physical challenges, and others are not. Some people acquire sickness during their lives, others do not. None of us are better than the other. I do not know why I have been blessed with good health, but I am thankful for it.

Each of us should spend some time contemplating God's grace in our lives.

For more devotionals like this one, consider Touching the Footprints of Jesus.