I was meditating on the devotional I read earlier this morning about God’s Grace—The God Who Stays by Matthew West.

After gathering my ingredients, I started cutting up the butter to melt it. I placed it in the microwave, and I watched it melt. The past has told me to stay with my butter, because I have let it bubble up and spill over too many times to count because I am multitasking! So now….I wait and watch it transform. I stay with it as it is transforming. I took it out of the microwave and stirred the butter around and put it back in so it could finish melting. And guess what, I continued to stay.

I teared up because isn’t that what Jesus does? He stays. When we cut up things, He stays. When we have a meltdown, He stays. When we mix things up, He stays. When we chop things up, He stays. When when we get into hot situations, He stays.

When Jesus was on the cross, He stayed.

Wow. I tear up at this beautiful and awesome fact…Jesus stays. No matter what we do, say or think, He stays. In John 8, a beautiful story unfolds showing how Jesus stays.

A woman is caught in the act of adultery. “She was dragged out into the street and surrounded by a crowd of accusers who were ready to stone her to death. When the angry crowd asked Jesus His opinion of this disgraced woman’s fate, the words He spoke made the stones fall to the ground. “Let any of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” With that, her accusers walked away and left her all alone. Well, not completely alone. Jesus stayed. Because that’s what Jesus does. He stays. He stayed to sing a grace-song over a disgraced woman who desperately needed to know she wasn’t doomed to a life of guilt and condemnation.” (Matthew West, The God Who Stays)

Jesus stays.

Well, I’m not done.

I got convicted while making these muffins.

My son came into the kitchen to tell us he was leaving for some recovery and therapy before the game. He was still angry and somewhat discouraged from the loss they took yesterday evening. So my husband and I said, “Hey, we have some food for you to take with you!” He grabbed the food, but not with a smile on his face. It seemed more like it was an irritation to him.

Now granted, he was picking someone else up so he was trying to be on time.

But, in my mama mind, I immediately spun up and said, “Hold up little boy!” This attitude you are displaying is disrespectful and it shows ungratefulness. Yes, you lost. Yes, you were not your best. Yes, it sucks…BUT don’t be ungrateful and disrespectful to us. We are trying to showing you love. If baseball is going to have you acting like this every time you lose, then maybe this isn’t the sport for you!”

Yep, I went there!

I further told him to fix his attitude or else today’s outcome would be the same. Then I said, “Bye” and he left.

I began to fume to the point that I said, “He can be at the game by himself!” Yeah, I was big mad. 😬

Thank God for Michael. He always calms this fiery woman down.

“Crystal, calm down and quit taking it personal.”

Ouch.

I calmed down. Then God went to work on his child.

He said, “Crystal, I stay with you when you are mad and discouraged and I am teaching you to do the same.” This message was to show you that I stay. Guess what? You will need to stay with people and show grace also. You need to be my hands and feet in this space too.

So, I teared up again and said, “Thank You God!” You are right! You always are!” 😬

So my friends, stay. Jesus stays with us and we need to do the same. We will mess up. They will mess up. But we need to show grace…

When we stay, we get to reap the rewards. A lifted up head and tasty muffins! 😂

We get to taste and see that the Lord is good!🙌🏾

I just finished Day 1 of that devotional, join me on YouVersion to read the rest of it!”

Jesus stays! Isn’t that good to know on this Easter weekend!

#seasonedword

#awordindueseason

Spicing Up Your Soul