9. A Little Chip of Grace
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The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Philippians 4:23M
OSTof us can remember moments of grace that came to us
through people in our lives before we had ever heard the
Word. One such example I can remember occurred when I was only
six years old.
My first-grade classroom was filled with marvels: a fish tank, an
easel with paints, but best of all, my teacher’s rock collection. Some af-
ternoons Miss Sullivan allowed those of us who had finished our work
to go quietly to the back of the room and look at the rocks. My favorite
rock was a crystal pink one that sparkled in the afternoon light.
One day, quite inexplicably, I reached out, picked that rock up,
and put it in my pocket. Sick with guilt, I rushed home and threw
myself into my mother’s arms. “Oh, Mama,” I blurted out, in tears,
“I took Miss Sullivan’s rock and you’re going to have to take it back.”
Mama could have lectured and scolded but she could see that I
didn’t need to be convinced of my guilt. So instead, she held me
until my sobbing had subsided. Then she drove me back to school
to face the consequences of my behavior.