That kind of reflection--where we see ourselves and think again about what direction we want to take in the future, sure that it is a very different direction than we've taken so far--often puts us in a frame of heart and mind where we experience God. Why is this? Here's my guess: At those moments where we freely admit our wrongs, we are as close as we ever get to being truly humble. At those moments there is a response that comes from God, a personal response so natural and strong that it can't be stopped, like a hand instantly reaching out to a companion who falls, or like a mother's instinctive turn when she hears her child's cry. The words the theologians use for this pure, spontaneous response is "grace"--amazing grace.

Grace is what a father feels (and a son receives) when he catches his son doing something wrong, and the boy (instead of defending himself or blaming his little brother or making an excuse or telling a pathetic lie to cover it up) bursts into tears and says, "I'm sorry." Punishment seems unnecessary; a stern word even seems out of place. The father takes the boy in his arms and simply says, "It's okay. I love you."

When we experience the grace of God in this way, it can be once of life's most significant events.

Brian D. McLaren
from--Finding Faith
Amazed by Grace