It's my privilege to introduce you to Nancy
Kay Grace, speaker and author. I met Nancy a few years ago at a Called To Write conference in Pittsburg, Kansas. She is a woman captivated by God's grace and loves to
share about embracing His grace in everyday life.
In her book, The
Grace Impact, Nancy Kay Grace gives her readers a closer glimpse of God’s
character, a loving heavenly Father who lavishes His grace on us through His
Son. (Grace, the unmerited favor, undeserved kindness, His divine gift to those
who receive Him) In all things at all times, His grace covers every detail
of life, not just the good things, but the difficult, sad, and complicated
things. That knowledge can give us the ability to walk confidently through life
knowing our heavenly Father is with us every step of the way.
Here’s an excerpt
from The Grace Impact
The
Faith Journey
by Nancy Kay Grace
“Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” Ps. 84:5
Hiking
is a physical trek that parallels our spiritual faith journey in challenges and
adventure. Whenever we travel on vacation, my husband and I like to explore
state parks with wandering trails.
Sometimes the pathways are paved; other times they are narrow dirt paths
through dense forests. Depending on the local geography, the terrain can be
flat or hilly.
Once
when we were at a retreat center in Colorado, we hiked throughout the grounds,
overlooking mountain peaks and also exploring canyons. One day we started out
on a wide paved trail. It looked like it would be easy—at least for the first
quarter mile. Going deeper into the woods, the paved trail became a dirt path,
still wide enough for us to hike side by side.
A stream flowed next to us, gurgling over rocks. The hike became more
intense the further we descended into a canyon. The cooler air felt nice, but
the boulders, mud, and roots on the trail created challenges. The hike got
harder when the only way across the stream was to walk on a fallen log. I
feared slipping off the log into the rushing water, but knew I needed to go
forward—at the end of the trail was a waterfall.
We met
some hikers returning from their trek. It was encouraging to rest a moment and
visit with them; they encouraged us that the hike was worth it.
The breeze
of the canyon refreshed us as we kept going, now on a narrow path.
The
sight at the end of the trail was worth the effort and sweat. Not only was one
waterfall flowing over the rocky cliff, but two. It was a beautiful sight,
leading us to pause for a moment of worship. We refreshed our feet in the cold
pool of water at the base of the waterfall, feeling the spray on our faces.
The
return trek to our car went faster. We met some hikers heading toward the
waterfall and encouraged them that the journey was worth it.
As we
hiked back, we reflected on the beauty of creation, the transitions of the
path, and the joy of discovery. The trail looked easy at first, but became
challenging the further we went. The encouragement of others spurred us on.
Worship refreshed us along the way.
Likewise,
some situations look easy in life but become challenging. We have to choose to
go forward, even when the way is hard, remembering God’s strength is with us.
He will never leave us or forsake us. Others we meet on the journey can
encourage us, and then we can share that encouragement with others.
We are
at different places on our faith journey. Some might be on a level path where
life is going well; others might in a valley of difficulty or transition. Along the way personal discoveries can teach
us about God and ourselves.
Throughout
the days of your pilgrimage, seek the Lord as your guide. God, through His
grace, provides what is needed for our faith journey.
What
blessings have you discovered on your faith journey?
Buy Nancy's devotional Bible study book,
The Grace Impact, through CrossRiver
Media or through Amazon.
To learn more about her ministry, please visit http://www.nancykaygrace.com
and sign up for her GraceNotes
newsletter.
Nancy Kay
Grace has contributed stories to several anthologies and published magazine
articles. She is married to her best friend, Rick, who is a senior pastor in
northwest Arkansas. They have served the Lord for more than forty years, seeing
His grace at work in many countries. Now they enjoy the stage of life with two
married children and an increasing number of grandchildren.
Follow
Nancy on
twitter: https://twitter.com/nancykaygrace
pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancykaygrace
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