Suffering, failure, loneliness, sorrow, discouragement,
and death will be part of your journey,
but the Kingdom of God will conquer all these horrors.
No evil can resist grace forever.
Brennan Mannin
(my favorite place on earth—the old Methodist Church in Cades Cove/
The Great Smokey Mts National Park / Julie Cook / 2021)
Have you ever felt that switch flip?
You know the one…
The switch which flips you from upside down to right side up?
As in all of a sudden, there is some sort of vast difference
between now and then.
Something new is now residing in your soul while the old has been
blessedly removed.
As an unseen presence now lifts you ever upward.
One day you’re one way…and then suddenly, the very next day,
you’re something else entirely.
You’re simply not the same person today as you were yesterday.
And thank God you’re not.
It is that odd juxtaposition of a before and an after sort of flip of the switch.
A profound difference begins to resonate within your inner core.
As in…there was first angst and emptiness…and then next there
grew a blessed peace and a sense of being sweetly content.
A huge difference happening all within a single 1 minute.
Marvelously, actually miraculously, you feel a peace that had been
nonexistent just one minute prior.
This new comforting sense of peace that, had been so elusive for such a long time–
longer than you could recall, now wraps you in a soothing embrace.
And so now you actually find yourself finally being able to exhale.
Being able to exhale the heaviness of forever,
while then breathing in a fresh new air of life.
The body goes weak.
The soul has been broken.
And now…we are the better for it…
as I think we call that loving Grace…
Love is the crowning grace of humanity, the holiest right of the soul,
the golden link which binds us to duty and truth,
the redeeming principle that chiefly reconciles the heart to life,
and is prophetic of eternal good.
Petrarch
God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things which should be changed and the wisdom
to distinguish the one from the other.
Reinhold Niebuhr
cookiecrumbstoliveby 
Yes, my friend , I have felt the switch flip. It’s a wonderful thing. Bless you !
It is wonderful isn’t it?!!!
[…] Loving Grace flips you upside right […]
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
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What a beautiful message, Julie. It is indeed Grace that can turn things quickly. What a comfort in this promise of never-ending love. Small churches ⛪️ and autumn~there’s nothing prettier! I love this! Blessings and hugs my friend. 💛
Love to you as well Karla—-yep— the woods, the mountains, old small churches— nothing more simple, yet so profound
Amen, Julie 💛❤️🧡
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Beautiful post Julie. And I know what you mean about that flipped switch, it’s a divine thing! Cool shot of that church too.
I love that church— we’ve visited the area forever and it always calms my spirit
W were just back in New England, my roots and it was so healing as well to experience the foliage, old churches and just the simplicity of things.
I can imagine how nice that was— we’re still waiting for our leaves to come to full glory 🤗
Your words are so true. My switch is in a constant state of flipping. I have days where I feel hopeless and helpless and days when I feel content. I’m grateful that the positive days outnumber the negative, but there always seems to be that short circuit that gets in the way. I think its nme is Satan.
I know!!!
Savoring this particular switch for as long as possible!!!!!
However, I believe Brennan Mannin is in error about “No evil can resist grace forever.”
The grace of God is so enormous, He would even forgive Satan . . . if he asked. But he in entombed in his determination to “be like the Most High” and the only solution is to isolate him from the rest of creation so he cannot go on injuring. The same holds true for those who determine to follow him; they will continue to be evil, not needing our judgment, but our prayers if any of them might possibly be saved before it is too late.
Thus Revelation 22:11 says, “Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
SOME will resist His grace forever.
I do agree about God’s vast capacity for forgiveness–for our conception of such is finite where God’s is indeed infinite.
And that is an interesting thought about God even forgiving Satan should he but ask.
Rather mind-blowing actually.
Thank you for sharing your insights!
many blessings
Oh yes, I too have experienced the glorious flip of that switch that transforms the trouble of “then” into the joy of “now.” What a lovely celebration-in-words you’ve provided here, Julie, to highlight that moment!
Thank you always Nancy for your kind words
I could use a switch flip right about now. Gray November is getting to me. At least the nonsense of saving daylight will expire this weekend and we’ll have light in the earlier morning again. That will help. J.
I hear you my friend— my flipped switch may it may not last all that long with this damp, wet, grey season— and I hate the change of time— I wish they’d stick with just one!!
So grateful for His grace
Indeed my friend!!!!!☺️
🙂