If you know me at all you know that I love nature. One of the things that I love seeing is a waterfall. Waterfalls are amazing. The roar of the waves splashing on the rocks and the water foaming into white at the bottom is breathtaking. In the back of my mind I have a plan to see all the great waterfalls of the world.
Back in 2000 I remember taking a hike to one of the great ones, the Blue Nile Falls in Ethiopia. You start off seeing the falls from a distance and at that point you have no idea how long the roundabout trip is to get there. All you know is from right here they are beautiful and you have to see them up close. Somewhere in the middle of the trip you lose sight of them and you start to wonder “Is this worth it?” Then finally you make it to the bottom and you stand in awe of all the water. It doesn’t stop. It just keeps flowing and the spray hits you from far off. You don’t even have to get that close. It kind of hits you by accident. I remember opening my backpack later and having to dry off the wet pages of my Bible and my journal.
That’s how grace is. It’s a waterfall. It’s not man made and it flows non stop. You can’t turn it on and off. It touches everyone who is in proximity sometimes by accident. Grace in our lives is like a waterfall but too often we treat it like a water hose. We want to turn it on and off. We want to direct it towards certain people. At the same time since we are holding it we often miss it ourselves.
Lately I’ve been realizing that I’ve been holding a water hose. Spraying grace on those I think deserve it. Turning it on and off when I feel like it had run out. Ultimately missing out on grace myself. In this latest season of my life where I have needed it the most God has led me on a roundabout trip to stand near his waterfall of grace and let the spray and mist of it wash over me.
Let go of the hose. God’s got a rushing waterfall of grace for all of us.
Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. (Psalm 42:7 ESV)
