Laced With Grace

This is a story about my mother.

My mom lives in a smallish size town, in western Colorado. Grand Junction is a quaint place, hailed as the gateway to the Great Rocky Mountains. She has lived alone from more than 25 years and now resides in an adorable townhome she purchased about three or four years back which is located a half a block away from my sister.

Last week on Valentine’s Day she decided to pick up a last minute gift for a friend, a box of candy from the town’s famous candy maker, Enstroms, who is famous for their toffee and a few other delectable’s.

Mom went into the store and ambled around taking in the crowded counters decorated with hearts and every manner of sweet treats. She brushed by the patrons who were crowding close to the clerks as they worked quickly to fills orders.

Approaching a counter to purchase her gift, she lined up behind two teenage boys. My mom guessed the taller one to be about 19 years old and the shorter one around, 17. The boys were talking with the clerk when all of sudden, the clerk looked at my mom and stepped from behind the counter. My mom watched a tad bit confused but then the clerk said to her as she motioned with her hand in the boys general direction, “Look at what these boys are buying for their mother for Valentine’s Day.”

The boys stepped back a little from the counter, with a sheepish smile on their rugged face, and low and behold my mom spied the most beautifully displayed box of chocolate covered strawberries.

“Lynn, these strawberries were the size of baseballs and they were beautiful. I looked at the box of chocolate berries then up at the boys faces and I stared at these two teenagers. I couldn’t believe these kids were buying such an expensive and exquisite gift for their mother. It was wonderful,” mother told me on the phone later.

My mom said she smiled at the boys and mumbled something to the affect, “You are some very special boys and your mom is a very lucky mom.” Then my mom turned to the taller boy who was smiling from ear-to-ear, “Will you give me a hug?” she asked.

He immediately bent down to my mom’s small stature and hugged her. My mom whispered in his ear, “Thank you. I lost my son two years ago and your hug is a special kindness.” He squeezed her tighter.

My mom made her purchase, said goodbye to the boys and the store clerk and headed on her way. In the parking lot she heard, “Ma’am, Ma’am, wait just a minute.”

The younger boy was running after her. Breathless he said, “Ma’am, we want you to have these.” He held out the box of beautifully decorated chocolate covered strawberries he and his brother had purchased for their mother.

“Oh, no son. I can’t take these. They are for your mother.”

“Ma’ma, our Mom will get her own box.”

Hugs again.

My mother said to me over the phone later, “Lynn is was if God knew I needed that so badly and He blessed me with two strangers, –teenage boys. I don’t know their names and I will likely never see them again but I will never forget their kindness to an old woman they didn’t know.”

—–

Sometimes I think teenagers get such a bum rap. But, I hope this story inspires you to see some kid today with eyes of hope. There are some amazing kids in our world doing amazing things.

Also, this story has inspired me to think about the elderly and people who are alone in our world. God loves them and grieves over their loneliness. So today, reach out to your grandma or grandpa. Send them a card or call. If you don’t have grandparents, then an elderly parent or an elderly neighbor. I live right next door to a woman who lives alone, Mary. Today, I am baking a coffee cake and cutting a flower from my garden and taking it to her just because that is what Jesus would do.

Tell me about what the Lord is asking you to do to make someone feel loved by Him. Be blessed, Lynn

PS. After I hung up the phone with my mother. I walked into the family room where my daughter was on the couch. I repeated the story to her about the boys, grandma and the chocolate. My daughter smiled, just delighted with the story and said, “Mom, do you think we can call grandma and see if she can find these boys? Do you think one of them would marry me?” *grin*

All is right with the world!

Find me daily at

…you can hide, but not for long.

I know the quote goes a little different, but I like the spin my pastor used during a sermon talking about Jonah’s running from the Lord.

“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.” ~ Jonah 1:1-3 (ESV)

Jonah was afraid. Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah chose to go the other direction. He got away with it, but only for a little while…You know the rest of Jonah’s story. Rebellion, repentance, relent…

To be honest with you, I feel like Jonah sometimes. I want to flee from the ministry God has put on my heart. I say “Lord, do I really have to?” “I am tired, I’d rather rest”. Often I wonder if my ministry is fruitful. Do people really listen to what I have to say? Do they believe me when I tell them where my strength comes from?

But when I read the account of Jonah, the story of Nineveh, I have hope that I too can make a difference in the lives of others. God just had to remind me that I am just the messenger; that He will do the rest. He is the one who changes people, not me. Yes, I can run, I can hide, but I can’t do it for long…

Lord of Heaven and Earth. Thank You for the reminder that You are the one who changes hearts; I am only a messenger. Lord, please use me and my life as You see it fit for Your kingdom. I might not see the fruits now, but I pray that when it is time You will show me how You have used me. I am trusting in Your strength to go on. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

Do you ever face a challenge?  Has anyone told you to give up and just “accept it”- it’s just “the way things are?”

Sometimes,  as Christians we can “roll over and play dead.” We start believing that THIS is all there is, or THIS is just how “it is.” We forget to fight- to stand firm and put on His armor. We forget to be strong in the Lord and His mighty power and to take our stand against the enemy’s evil schemes. We just accept our circumstances as “the way things are.” We just sigh, and say, “This must be God’s Will, His plan.” (And sometimes it is! There are times that He is refining us or our circumstances are a result of sin or our choices- but that is a whole other blog post!!!)

Did you ever see the movie, Babe, about a pig who refused to accept that things were just “the way things are?” All the animals in the barnyard tried to tell Babe that it’s “just the way things are” and Babe would have to accept that he was going to be Christmas dinner.  But, Babe refused to accept it.  He believed that he was destined for something greater.

There are times when God is calling us, as Believers,  to dig in our heals, to refuse to accept “the way things are” and turn to Him in prayer and faith.  God wants us to speak His Word… His Truth… BELIEVE it, walk in it and walk BELIEVING it!

God reminded me of an example of this that happened not too long ago.

I was NOT feeling well- I had a “bug” of some kind. But, I had so much to do. While I was praying with my mentor and prayer partner, I had a “woe is me” attitude and was resigned to an attitude of  giving up.

I started to speak this belief over myself.

“I am sick today.  I won’t be able to do all things I need to do. Oh well.”  I even said, “God must be slowing down.” (And He, does do that, too- but that, too, is a whole other blog post!!!!!)

The more I wallowed in my “feeling bad” and kept telling myself how sick I was, the worse I felt!

But, my prayer partner didn’t just accept that I wasn’t feeling well.  She didn’t join my “poor me” pity party- which I wasn’t too happy about at first.  I wanted  her to feel sorry for me- I was sick!  I wanted to “wallow!”  But, she began to pray for healing. We began to take our authority in who we are in Jesus and what He has already done for us.  As we prayed, my faith began to rise. I knew it was God’s will for me to get up and accomplish the things He had called me to do that day. We talked about the time when Jesus healed Peter’s mother from a fever and she got up to serve them. Immediately after we prayed I felt better. I still had my cold, but my attitude had completely changed.  I had energy to get up and do the things I needed to do. Once I finished, I felt God say, “Rest now.”

I felt so much better!!!! I rested without worries of my tasks.  I was so thankful and praised Him over and over!

Lord, thank You that You are constantly calling us to exercise faith and to call to You…expecting You to extraordinary things in our “ordinary” lives.  Thank You that You care for each of our needs.  Help us to be more like “Babe”, not just accepting things the way they are, but going to You, believing You will change them.  And, even when our circumstances don’t change, give us faith to keep looking to You with an attitude of hope and belief. We love You, Lord!  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.

Please visit me at my personal blog,