Favor

Since my hubby was brave enough to share his heart I thought I'd follow his lead! I used to think grace was the coolest characteristic of God. I still do and I also attributed a love and passion for favor. They may look like the same on the surface yet I have experienced a deeper reality of it in my life. Allow me to explain.

Grace is receiving something you don't deserve. The highest gift of course is our salvation, on a much lesser scale there's financial provision, occupational provision, social provision. All these are evidence that God loves us. Favor on the other hand is allowing yourself to take a step back as you receive these blessings and know that God is fighting for you. 

My mama has lived with us for a month and a half this time around. We've had such beautiful, challenging, difficult moments that could have only come from God's favor on us. We met 6 years ago. In that time we have made an effort to remain in each others lives. The very fact that we have a relationship as close as we do is totally God's favor. He wants us to be in close relationship. I took my mama to a Slovenian meeting yesterday. It was so beautiful to see and hear her respond to our culture. This was all made possible because of God's favor! She got to be the grandma she's always wanted to be while also becoming the mother she never was allowed to be. Grace is beautiful and I also am growing found of God's favor.

I just got hired for a job that I in retrospect should not have received. Before hand I prayed that God would just be God and do what only he could do. Prayer was answered in a large way! I not only will be working with a population that is my heart and desire I also will be receiving an assistant position leading into summer! My new supervisor told me I had a lot to offer. That a complete stranger could see that in me has God's favor written all over it! One more example of how God's favor has revealed itself to me is through a continued relationship!

Last night at our church we had a huge youth fundraiser called Terrace on Chicago! It's my favorite event to attend because it's all driven by the youth of our church! I am so happy to see them in action all dressed up and serving their church! We really do have spectacular students! I was at work and couldn't attend. One of my youth that we have pretty much adopted as our daughter packed me a dinner. I wasn't even there and she was thinking about me! I was so touched by this beautiful gesture.

Here's the crazy thing about all this. This has become almost "normal" in my life. I've been bestowed with blessings so large from God that sometimes I tear up just thinking about it. See grace is the assurance God loves you and favor is how he Shows it! I'd always say to Zechariah earlier in our marriage "prove it." Over the course of our marriage I would say my husband has done a fabulous job of "proving it" to me. My not so good at planning hubby has become quite the impressive one to think ahead of a different cultural themed date every month! Our marriage has went through a very trying time and we have come out from that a stronger couple and for that I thank God every single day!

Favor is so real in my life that I can listen to other stories and know that is not how God works in everyone's lives. Moms out there struggle everyday and no one knows it. I was that mom. Now I see other moms struggling and I want to give them hope that God does work miracles. He did so miraculously work in my life! I am the mom I always wanted to be! I love deeply and forgive quickly. None of this at all is possible without God's favor.

I plan on sharing God's story in my life for the rest of my life! I plan on giving people hope when there is none right in front of them, I plan on loving the daylights out of my family, I plan on overlooking a person's flaws as God has so clearly overlooked mine, I plan on becoming more and more of God's precious baby girl with each passing breath, I plan on living by the phrase this too shall pass. As I am learning with emotions so are seasons, events, days, moments, they are all temporary. God's favor however is forever! Look at David if you need any more proof! That man had God's complete assurance that his throne would always have an heir. That promise was more than fulfilled through Jesus Christ!

The next time you recieve something you don't deserve I challenge you to think if it was grace or favor. You might be surprised by how active God really is in your life right now. I'm learning how active he is working in my life everyday. I hope and pray that you may join me!

I love you with all my heart
Tina Martina Putney