"... overflowed for me"

WHAT GOD DID FOR ME: 1 Timothy 1:14

and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

When John, our older son, was about five, he gave us a vivid illustration of overflowing grace. We were living in the parsonage at Lusby, which had a bathroom on the upper bedroom floor, over a second bathroom on the ground level by my office. One day, for reasons I can no longer remember, he decided to fill the bathtub with water. He turned the taps on, then went away and was distracted by something else. Like all modern tubs, this one had an overflow relief drain; but the overflow was not sufficient to compensate for the inflow. Gradually, first the tub and then the floor began to fill with water, so that we were beginning to work on a healthy little aquarium on the second floor.

John, bless him, was oblivious to the problem he was creating. So was I, until I interrupted my work for a relief break downstairs, and went into the bathroom. When I turned on the light, it seemed odd, so I looked up. That's when I noticed that the large dish which served as the cover for the light bulbs was full of water. I knew this, because of the unaccustomed cool rippling effect of the light coming through the fixture, and because of the small stream which was even then beginning to make its way to the tile floor of that bathroom. Quickly, I flipped off the switch to prevent half the house from shorting out, and ran to investigate the problem. John, who was by this time pleasantly immersed in other quiet pursuits, was innocently amazed at the deluge of which he was the small creator. Fortunately, we didn't have to replace the whole ceiling.

St. Augustine of Hippo taught that God uses something he called operating grace, by which God woos and draws us to Himself. This grace is always active, and always effective, whether we are aware of it or not. It continually seeks us, draws us, and would enfold us in the love of Christ. John Wesley referred to this as preventing grace (we now call it "prevenient" grace), or the grace which comes before. Its fruit is faith, and the love of Christ calls forth a reflecting love from us, who taste God's goodness.

God's grace is above, showering down on us, even before we know it. As for Paul, so also for you and for me.

Lord, thank you for your astounding grace, which is at work before I'm aware of it. Let me draw upon this grace to grow in faith and the depth of my love for you and for others. In Christ, Amen.


Dunkirk, Maryland