Moment of Truth

Recently I broke the only electric guitar I’ve ever owned. It was a really sad event both because it was a gift and also because it is unlikely I’ll be able to afford a new one for quite sometime.

In light of this, someone decided to leave a brand new guitar (and guitar stand to avoid further accidents) on my front porch yesterday. They were in cahoots with my parents and wife, but have gone through great pains to remain anonymous.

Obviously I am thankful beyond words, but I just wanted to convey, in hopes that the culprit would read this, that the act really taught me something about the way I believe G-d loves us and why it’s so hard to love Him back.

I don’t know who gave me the guitar, therefore I’m forced to receive a VERY generous gift without the ability to reciprocate. I can’t send a thank you card, I can’t give them any reimbursements, I can’t even bake them cookies. I am forced to receive grace that I can’t possibly match.

This is why it’s so hard to have a relationship with the Christ of the Bible. He gives us this gift of justice, truth, grace, and love and we are helpless to reciprocate. No amount of service or good deeds or bible studies or potlucks will ever be able to repay that man for what He did. It’s agitating, it’s not the way our minds are taught to work, but ultimately we come to a place where we can just accept that grace and live with it. But it’s not easy. First off, we have to shake a lot of the “fire and brimstone” we’re inundated with and realize that G-d’s not working on a point system or selling us things by offering a reward. But that’s a different post altogether…

In short, I’m glad I don’t have to worry about getting a new guitar, but I’m THANKFUL to whoever did this for teaching me something about the purest and most difficult to deal with kind of Love.