All God's grace

 There's a sign in our daughter's room that was given to us at her baby shower.

It says, "All God's grace in one tiny face."

It's a sweet saying, and it is on the wall right above her changing table. I was sitting across the room while I was nursing her, and I looked at that sign. I had just read a sermon that talked about the difference between mercy and grace. Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve --- for instance, he doesn't send all humans to hell to pay for all of our mistakes, all of our sins, which is what we deserve when we compare our filth to his perfect righteousness. Grace, however, is God giving us what we don't deserve.

I looked at our daughter's tiny face and realized that sign is exactly what she is. Grace. God gave us a tiny human that we absolutely don't deserve.

I don't deserve the smiles that she gives me. I don't deserve her love. I don't deserve the opportunity to raise her. I fall short so often.

However, God saw fit to give us, in her grace, this undeserved blessing.

And when I look at her tiny, little face, I am so, so thankful that he did.