Article July 7, 2003 Issue

The transforming power of God's GRACE

By Joan Wattam

When I was a child, I would sometimes be left alone for several hours at a time. Yet, I knew that there was a loving power that was looking after me, protecting me. This benevolent power was unseen, but at the same time tangible to me. It was God.

At that time my concept of God was simple. But because of my trust in this power, whom I called "Father," I had the confidence to confront things that might otherwise have intimidated me. For example, once when my porcelain doll was broken, I was filled with fear because it had been very expensive. But I prayed to my Father, "Please don't let my doll be broken," and when I opened my eyes again, I felt completely calm and saw how to fix the doll.

Later, as I began attending my family's church, I learned that my relationship to God was possible only because Jesus had died for my sins. I was taught that when Jesus died on the cross, he paid the price so that I could have a relationship with his Father. I learned that God required sacrifice if you wanted to be close to him, and therefore Jesus had come to sacrifice his life for me. I didn't entirely understand this because it seemed so unfair to Jesus and involved a God rather unlike the God I knew and loved.

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