Story

I first have to say- I feel so much better- like a human again :) I have been feeling well for over 24 hours now, so I think I made it!!!! It was awful at times, even worse at others- but overall it was ok....and now I feel like I can be "me!"
I even went to church today- I went to International church last night (in English) and then to Arabic church this morning (Arabic translated at times for those of us who, and I quote "don't speak the heavenly language" (aka: Arabic!) I have fallen in love with this Arabic church....both last week and this week have been incredible!!!!
Today, the pastor spoke on legalism and grace from the book of Leviticus. Anyone who knows me knows that I have become a big fan of grace- but today I heard it in a new way. The pastor told a story at the end of his sermon that asked us to live a better story- a story of grace. He talked about how grace allows us to love our neighbor as more important than ourselves, love our enemies, give to the poor- it is the best story in the world (and yet I live the story of "save Katy" or "make things better for katy" etc.) I was in tears as I thought of the story that God has allowed me to be a character in
On the way home, we decided to walk. The sidewalks here are bumpy to say the least- most of them are "tile" in some fashion...some with "tread" for when it gets wet (the hills are pretty steep and apparently pretty slippery without the tread) ANYWAY- as I was walking home, I was checking out the new olives on the "bush" on the side of the road and I tripped. Then I fell- pretty much busted! The horns of the cars going by started honking, people with me hid their laughter and asked the required "are you ok?" and then started smiling- and I thought, oh great! I can't even walk....and then I remembered, grace says that I am not saved by what I do!!!! So, I said "I am ok....good thing I am saved by grace, because apparently I can't even walk!" and we all laughed!!! :) - (I am ok, by the way)
so, I am just sitting here reflecting on how wonderfully weird it is that grace frees us from our doing. It is so abnormal, everything seems to be on a "works based" system- having one that is not seems to so wrong in some way. But it is fun to explore the edges, to see how great it is to be saved by something outside of myself.