I'll have the "Grace and Peace" with a side order of "More peace", please!

This week I had some time to kill. I had been at Libby's school, helping the 2nd graders learn fun math concepts, and had 2 hours all to myself! The same awe and holy reverence that most of my friends and family in Oklahoma experienced over their recent earthquake was similar to what I experienced in my heart over my extra time!

I walked around the mall, asking God what I should do. I felt like the order of the day was to look for a birthday gift Libby needed for an upcoming party and then to chill out at a cozy restaurant until I had to go. That's exactly what I did.

I got a salad, a mineral water, and proceeded to sit down to engage in mindless nothingness. I felt like the Lord wanted to me read my Bible I had stuck in my oversized purse before heading out that morning, so I pulled it out. Not sure where to read, I felt like 1 Peter 1 was the place to begin.

I got stuck on the first 2 verses for a really long time. My favorite place to look up Bible stuff when I don't have one is blueletterbible.org. And, since I'm not in the near vicinity of my Bible, here's a copy of 1 Peter 1:1-2 from BLB:

1Pe 1:1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God's chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. [fn]

1Pe 1:2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.

As I read to whom the letter was written, I laughed out loud ... ok almost. I was in public and didn't want to draw attention to myself in my culture. This, is exactly why my inner laugh wanted to spring from my vocal cords! This was written to strangers ... foreigners ... people like me! Yes, the Bible also calls those who have made a commitment to call themselves followers of Jesus are then, strangers/foreigners, on this earth ... but this was written to people who were not from the countries they were living in ... people like me!

Then, the one thing he chooses to ask God to give these folks was ... more grace and peace. Why? That's where the "getting stuck" part kicked in. I sat at my cozy restaurant table and began to write about all the ways I, as a foreigner, have needed to either extend extra grace to others ... or how extra grace needed to be given to me. I saw how living as a foreigner has stolen my peace, tested my peace, or flat out robbed me of my peace. This was such a profound thing for me.

Perhaps the most profound thing was this ... God, Father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the great I AM, God of heavens armies, God the Creator, ... spoke to me in my language, in a way I would understand culturally, in the middle of my foreigner status. Remarkable.

Even more remarkable? God does that with all those who call on Him from every foreign country all over the planet. Each as personal and comforting ... in their own language ... as my experience.

Let's just leave it right there for today. Get "stuck" a little and think about the ways you need more and more grace and peace ...