Last 2 quotes from this devotion: The Grace-Given Give Grace by Max Lucado, from Grace Happens Here On a November evening in 2004, Victoria Ruvolo, a forty-four-year-old New Yorker, was driving to her home on Long Island. She’d just attended her niece’s recital and was ready for the couch, a warm fire, and relaxation. She doesn’t remember seeing the silver Nissan approach from the east. She remembers nothing of the eighteen- year-old boy leaning out the window, holding, of all things, a frozen turkey. He threw it at her windshield. The twenty-pound bird crashed through the glass, bent the steering wheel inward, and shattered her face like a dinner plate on concrete. The violent prank left her grappling for life in the ICU. She survived but only after doctors wired her jaw, affixed one eye by synthetic film, and bolted titanium plates to her cranium. She can’t look in the mirror without a reminder of her hurt. Nine months after her disastrous November night, she stood face to titanium-bolted face with her offender in court. Ryan Cushing was no longer the cocky, turkey-tossing kid in the Nissan. He was trembling, tearful, and apologetic. For New York City, he had come to symbolize a generation of kids out of control. People packed the room to see him get his comeuppance. The judge’s sentence enraged them — only six months behind bars, five years’ probation, some counseling, and public service. The courtroom erupted. Everyone objected. Everyone, that is, except Victoria Ruvolo. The reduced sentence was her idea. The boy walked over, and she embraced him. In full view of the judge and the crowd, she held him tight, stroked his hair. He sobbed, and she spoke: “I forgive you. I want your life to be the best it can be.” She allowed grace to shape her response. “God gave me a second chance at life, and I passed it on,” she says of her largesse. “If I hadn’t let go of that anger, I’d be consumed by this need for revenge. Forgiving him helps me move on.” Her mishap led to her mission: volunteering with the county probation department. “I’m trying to help others, but I know for the rest of my life I’ll be known as ‘The Turkey Lady.’ Could have been worse. He could have thrown a ham. I’d be Miss Piggy!” This is the gift that God gives: a grace that grants us first the power to receive love and then the power to give it. The grace-given give grace. Forgiven people forgive people. The mercy-marinated drip mercy. Watch the Video Your Turn What would you do? Could you give that kind of lavish grace? Have you received that kind of love from God? We would love to hear your story of grace. Please, come join us on our blog! ~ Devotionals Daily SPECIAL OFFER: Grace Happens Here by Max Lucado A wonderful message about God’s grace and how to apply it to every aspect of your life. Max Lucado looks at grace from all directions and reveals that no matter which way you look at it, God’s grace is always there, ready to do wonders in your life. This beautiful gift book is filled with powerful quotes, Scripture, and stories that will transform your heart and mind with a deeper understanding of God’s healing grace. The message gently and eloquently encourages you to accept completely His grace and forgiveness as well as extend the same blessing toward others. When grace happens, generosity happens. Unsquashable, eye-popping big heartedness happens. Receiving grace today? Liberality is in the forecast for tomorrow. When you meet a bountiful person, you are standing where grace is happening. You received this email because you signed up for updates from FaithGateway. Manage your Email Preferences Copyright © 2013 HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN, United States. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions | View Our Policy
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 20:53:41 +0000
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