Grace

You've got to love technology. I am actually typing this from my husband's laptop in our car as he drives our family up to Harbor Springs for our summer vacation. I don't know if I'll be able to upload any pictures until we get home, since we only have Internet access using his phone as a modem. I have no idea how it works, but I'm glad to be married to a technical guru!

Since I am in the car, this won't be long, but I had to share this special moment between my kids and me this week. On Thursday, we went to my mom and dad's church for Vacation Bible School in the evening. Lars has an astronomy presentation he shares with the kids at Youth Haven, and my mom had asked him to come share it with their VBS group for family night.

Before the program began, the boys and I were sitting in the chairs in the sanctuary. I was trying to keep them from fidgeting and getting too rowdy, so we played this little game where each of us had to tell one thing we thought would be really cool. Here's how it went:

I said I thought it would be cool if I could open my mouth wide enough to fit their heads inside. Hey, sometimes with 8 and 6 year old boys you just have to be goofy, right?

Lukas said he thought it would be cool if he never had to go to school but could stay home and play all day.

Then it was Stefan's turn. In all seriousness and innocence, he said, "What if there was no sin in the world?"

I love that he was thinking on that level! Yes, it would be really cool if there was no sin in the world. Leave it to my 8-year-old to bring that thought into a silly moment.

Unfortunately, there is sin in the world, and because of that Jesus had to die on the cross. But I am so grateful he was willing to sacrifice himself so that I could become a child of God. I am also grateful that both of my children have accepted him as Savior.

This leads me to my next thought: if there was no sin in the world, there would be no need for forgiveness, no need for grace. If that were true, would I love God as much as I do now? Would I acknowledge my need for Him and depend on Him from day to day?

The truth is, my life on earth is so much richer because I know that I am a sinner and God loves me anyway. Even as His Son hung there on the cross, He saw my every fault, every failure, every sin - and believed I was worth the price He paid. That is so amazing to me!

It would still be "cool" if there was no sin in the world, because it would mean no pain, suffering, or death. I can't change the fact that sin exists, but I know I have been cleansed from all my sin by the blood of Jesus. Grace. Now that's cool.