Norfords' Ramblings

Sunday May 3, 2009

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Ephesians 4:7.

The context of this passage is the gifting from Christ for various ministries in the Body of Christ. Charisma is the Greek word for gift, but the charis part means grace, for a gift is a gracious act of the giver. So as all of us committed to Christ are in ministry one way or another, he has given each of us specific gifts. In our latter years, Ann and I have discovered our joy of writing and rejoice in this gift that we are now able to exercise. We should have the first printing run of our book, Happy Together: Daily Insights for Families from Scripture, available in two weeks time, and are planning an initial launch of the book locally over the weekend of May 23rd. But more of that in a later blog.

You may recall that last weekend was a difficult time for me, not feeling so well and it seemed to be a definite setback on the road to recovery. Well, this weekend has been the reverse. It is the first time I have felt like my old self since the surgery. Not that I am out of the woods yet, and I recognize a few more weeks until I regain full strength, but It feels significant and is a great encouragement. But there are more instances of God’s grace and gifts. Those that have prayed for me; it is a gift of God’s grace—to the one who prays, and for me the recipient of those prayers. The ability of the body to heal itself is a gift of God’s grace, for he is the ultimate healer.

And especially the support and encouragement of Ann; her gifts are the grace of God for both her and me, as she herself continues to be a gift of God’s grace towards me for nearly sixty years—including our courting time! 2010 will be our fifty fifth year of marriage and will mark sixty years we have know each other—and also known the grace of God to us both.