Blog: Sheep, Goats and Grace
(Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:23-24)
I Missed the Shot!
This photograph of a nanny goat and kid in Glacier National Park acts as a reminder to me of God’s grace.
I sat down and let my feet dangle off the wooden platform built on a high country trail in Montana. In a distance some not so friendly clouds of a mountain storm continued to gather. I drew my camera up to photograph a nanny goat and her kid as they navigated a narrow rock ledge. I pressed the shutter. The camera clicked and died.
Though the camera had indicated fifteen minutes ago I should change the battery, I waited, hoping to get every last shot out of it. Sure enough, at the wrong time the battery went dead. I knew better and should have already changed the battery. The goats had rounded the corner by the time I put in a new battery. I was pretty angry with myself and with God for allowing that to happen. I asked “Why?” But no answer came.
A Coming Storm?
This bighorn sheep ram almost “rammed” into my friend as it fled a coming storm.
Since the mother goat decided to take a nap just barely in my view, I waited, asking God to give me an undeserving second chance. God and the goats never gave me that chance. Finally, the not so friendly clouds moved above my friend and I and we decided to head back.
The swiftly moving storm clouds and wind disturbed some bighorn sheep that were high up on a slope. They began to move back down. They ran across the trail right in front of us. Not only was it an exciting experience, but I was able to get a nice shot of one of the rams.
The Grace of God
A mother goat and kid in Glacier National Park at the Hidden Lake Over Look.
Weeks later when I was in my office editing that roll of film (this was in 2002, before I used digital cameras) I discovered that not only did I get a nice shot of the bighorn, but I got the shot I wanted of the goats before the battery went dead! I was so undeserving, yet God in His grace blessed me with those gifts.
That’s how His grace works. When we are lost, dirty, and ugly in our sin we deserve nothing from God, but He still gives us the gift of grace through Christ. God does not give us a second chance. A second chance means we can mess up again. He gives us new life in Christ. That’s way better than a second chance.