God's Grace Upon Grace

Last Friday as I was holding the sleeping baby boy that I watch, I was looking out our windows and noticed a large moving truck. We must have new neighbors, I thought. I continued to watch as they unpacked and carried their things in. One item in particular caught my attention ---- a beautiful roll top secretarial desk. My thoughts flashed back to our antique roll top desk that we had in Africa that we had sold as we moved to the U.S.

Our old desk we had in Africa

I had loved that desk and was sad that we were not able to bring it with us. It is funny how grief can pop up its ugly head... I use to think the stages of grief was passed through in a linear fashion but I am discovering all too often you can hop around or sometimes take two steps forward then three steps back. I began to talk to God about my grief and bring my heart to Him.....then I heard a noise and saw they had set the desk off to the side as the movers began moving other items. I was able to get a closer look at the beautiful desk. It had been painted a soft mint green color with an antique finish. For a brief moment I thought, 'oh this would look perfect in my living room'...the seed of envy and coveting was beginning to take root. 

A few years ago a friend, author and women speaker Mimi Wilson had shared a story about how she had envied a beautiful scarf a women had on and as she continued to nurture and feed this sin she felt that it had separated her from her normal intimacy with God. This story and lesson that I had pondered in my heart was used by the Spirit to gently and quickly convict me of my coveting. 

I found myself verbally saying that I was sorry for not being thankful for all the pretty things that God had already given me for my living room and I expressed genuine joy that my neighbors had such a beautiful desk. I immediately felt God's forgiveness. I was so thankful for His grace and thought that was that.......

But the next morning to my amazement my husband came in the house and said ,"Looks like one of our neighbors have thrown out an old roll top desk in the trash, Do you want it?'' I knew the answer to my question before I asked it," Is is green?" --- "Yes' he said ..... Yes, it is mine, a gift from God beyond His grace... " For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace" John 1:16

Our new rolled top desk

I am still overwhelmed by His goodness and grace as I look at this desk now sitting in my living room.... thanks also to the hard work of my husband and boys that carried it in. 

This desk will forever be a symbol of God's grace upon grace that He has poured into my life in the past, present and what is to come! May we all rest in His grace and lean into Him as we journey on.