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For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8, ESV).
A few weeks ago, I visited my cousin George Smith at the Dayton VA Hospice.
Eternity was closing in for George, and we both knew this would be our final conversation on this earth. Yet, as our words focused on joy and hope — a euphoric, almost palpable grace emanated through his room.
Growing up, my sister and I were closest to our Smith cousins who lived near Pittsburgh. George was the oldest Smith cousin and set the example of youthful indiscretions for both the Smith and the Edwards siblings.
His teenage exploits will be noted in the Most Grace Needed Hall of Fame in Heaven. An example:
Barry (George’s boyhood friend) said to George, “Hey, George, my father has an airplane, and I think that I can fly it. Let’s take it up and fly over the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers to see the Pittsburgh Steelers stadium.”
A few hours later. . .
Barry to George, “Hey, George, I’m not sure that I know how to land this plane.”
George to his boyhood friend, “Barry, I’m never going to fly with you again!”
George had wit, and this story became a humorous legend in our family. But things changed in the 1960s when he served two tours of duty in Vietnam. Afterward, he endured fear, drugs, and PTSD — with his life turning dark with addiction.
As I’ve discussed before in Interruptions, my mother was killed in a car wreck. Her memorial service focused on joy and hope, and as often happens when a saint passes, the sanctuary had that palpable, almost euphoric presence of grace.
Listening to the sermon and testimonies during my mother’s funeral, the Spirit of conviction and freedom fell upon George. After the memorial service, as he reminded me during my recent visit. . .
Grant, during that service, I’d never felt the Spirit of the Lord that way before. Afterward, I went home and put all of my alcohol, drugs, and drug paraphernalia in a plastic bag, drove across town, and threw it into a dumpster while praying, “God give me freedom from all addiction, depression, and fear.”
And you know, Grant, at that moment, all my desires for alcohol and drugs were gone. I’ve never consumed alcohol or drugs since.
Amen, Cousin George, God is good!
In the last few years, with George increasingly homebound, he had taken it upon himself to send me encouraging Scripture, including Ephesians 2:8 (on grace), 2 Corinthians 12:9 (on grace), Romans 11:6 (on grace), and Hebrews 4:16 (yep, on grace).
Let’s consider Hebrews 4:16. . .
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
George is now witnessing this throne, not by faith anymore, but seeing Jesus with the euphoric joy that we only get a glimpse of on earth but fully experience. . .
By grace in heaven!