A preschooler’s view of Grace

The past couple of months I’ve been having some interesting conversations with Jimmy regarding grace. We memorized Ephesians 2:8, “By grace you have been saved”. I was trying to explain to Jimmy what grace means. I told him that grace is when we don’t deserve good, but we receive it anyway (through the grace of a benefactor). The example I used was when Jimmy deserves a swat, but mommy chooses not to give him one (which happens rarely). In retrospect, a better example could be conjured, but oh well. For the next several weeks, any time Jimmy got in trouble and was sent to his bed to await sentencing, he would exclaim “Grace, grace!” whenever I came into his room to mete out the punishment. I think he grasps half of the concept 🙂

Seeing “grace” through the eyes of a 3 year old is helpful for better understanding the extreme gift of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross, and the tidal wave of grace that was unleashed on that day. I deserve a really big swat. A swat all the way into H-E-double-hockey-sticks. It takes some serious grace to forgive me of my sins, forego that deserved punishment, and instead allow for citizenry in the eternal kingdom of God. Sweet, sweet grace.