A trio of Geraghty women unfolded the idea of God’s grace in the cool June morning to a gathering at Tuscarora Inn. Like the layers of an onion, our reserve was peeled away, and our tears became more profuse as one by one they shared their stories. Stories of God making his presence known; his grace flowing through his people; his grace revealed in his Word; his sustaining grace through tragedy.

Laying a biblical foundation, Cindy Geraghty emphasized that God’s grace is a gift, free and meant to be received and given. He is gifting us with himself daily! Then God calls us to minister that grace to others, in an imperfect world to imperfect people. Cindy poignantly shared an example of a friend who extended grace to her while she grieved her father’s death. A simple task of washing a floor together lifted the fog for her. She encouraged us to prayerfully ask God to give us balance; to minister in a way that would encourage others; to share with no expectation of return, being motivated by a heart that is grateful for what it has already received.

Her daughter Ellen spoke of grace as unconditional love received from God – being declared worthy and forgiven. She offered a $5 bill to an audience participant, and then proceeded to berate it, crumple it, and stomp on it! Yet the woman still wanted it, because the U.S. Treasury seal on it declared its worth. It is the God of the universe who declares us worthy and forgiven!

Ellen shared how this understanding of God’s grace made its way from her head to her heart. As a college athlete, Ellen’s identity was often tied to her performance. But God used some unexpected vessels of grace to show her his love, and then used her as a vessel to other women all over the world through Athletes in Action. “It’s freeing to know that God doesn’t ask me to carry the burden of being the perfect source, but what he’s asked me to be is an incredibly broken, yet forgiven, grace-full vessel.”

Youngest daughter Anne’s story of her husband’s tragic death in a motorcycle accident transfixed us. She began by saying that God’s grace had been present in her whole life in different forms, and it was only by his grace that she was even here. She told two stories: one of the emotional pain she experienced from someone who refused to extend grace and forgiveness to her, and second, the anguish of Joe’s death – where God’s grace visibly flowed to her through many. As we vicariously lived the ordeal through Anne’s words, it was clear that God was the one who prompted and enabled grace-filled responses at the accident scene, and in the days to come.

Speaking transparently to the audience, she remarked that the grace of God that is needed in day-to-day living is sometimes harder than the grace needed in tragedy. God calls us to be vessels of his grace to people who aren’t our close friends, difficult people, people who hurt us. She challenged us to be willing, when difficult moments happen, for God to flow through us. Her question for all of us was: “Will you be willing to be the vessel?”

By Cheryl Olsen

Cheryl Olsen (pictured with her husband Stan) serves as the secretary of Women's Ministries of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. (www.wmclb.com)