Another of my heroes of the faith is St. Patrick. Today is St. Patrick’s Day and I always try to wear green. Although I have Irish ancestry (my ancestors had such Irish names as Carnahan, Gillespie, McNabb, Hobson, and Mackey), St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish. Patrick was taken prisoner as a child by raiding Irish pirates from his English home. Sold into slavery, he had a hard life. He prayed and told God that if He would deliver him, he would serve Him the rest of his life. He then found an opportunity to stowaway on a departing ship. The ship was destined for France, and Patrick arrived safe, and immediately entered a monastery to become a priest, keeping his word to God.

Patrick was not the best student, and when the pope sent out a plea for missionaries to go to rugged Ireland, Patrick immediately sensed God was leading him to go back. But the religious leaders were convinced that Patrick’s grades were not good enough for him to carry out such an endeavor and denied him. However, when none of the other priests volunteered to go, they reluctantly approved Patrick as the candidate. The rest is history.

Patrick becomes a hero because he went back to those who had put him in bondage and offered them grace. Isn’t that exactly what Christ did for us? No one had a passion for the wild Irish like he who had been there. Wear green today in honor of St. Patrick.

Tags: grace, hero, missionary, St. Patrick

When I speak with someone who is having, or has just had a major surgery, I often ask if they have insurance to pay for the procedure.  I know that if a person has to worry about thousands of dollars in medical bills, that it can be an extra burden.  Perhaps you’re wondering about that in my case.

This past February the Board of Directors at the church decided to switch from our traditional 80/20 health insurance plan to an HSA (Health Savings Account).  We were apprehensive, at first, not really understanding what this new insurance concept was about.  But it has saved the church a lot of money, and has turned out to be a blessing to everyone.  One requirement of an HSA is there must be a high deductible.  Because of health issues with both Anita and I this year, we have already completely paid our combined $4,000 deductible.  That means that this entire procedure will be paid 100% by the insurance company.  Hallelujah!

Nothing is really free, though.  Someone has to pay that bill.  Its kind of like salvation for a sinner.  Grace is free, but Someone had to pay the debt.  I guess that’s what makes me stay in love with Jesus.  I know He paid my debt in full.

Tags: debt, grace, paid

I went to the county jail yesterday to visit a young lady incarcerated for selling drugs to an undercover officer.  I expected to deal with a con artist, someone who knew how to fool everyone else because she herself was fooled.  But I was surprised at her openness in admitting that she made bad choices and now had to make it right.

I asked her how she thought God felt about her right now.  In shame she said that He was probably mad at her right now.  That gave me an opportunity to talk about how God loves her unconditionally and that she was beating up on herself because she was using her own failure as the standard of forgiveness, rather than what Jesus did for her on the cross.  We prayed a prayer of rededication and I expect God to begin revealing Himself to her daily.

But, most of all, the experience taught me a valuable lesson on thanksgiving.  As I talked to her my mind went back to some of my own stupid and irresponsible choices I made years ago.  But for the grace of God, I would be the one sitting there in that cold jail cell.  I left the jail with a deeper appreciation of the Lord’s grace in my life.  That’s what I’m thankful for!

Tags: choices, grace, jail, thankful