Some of you know I’m writing a book. The working title is Simply Grace: Everyday Glimpses from God. The manuscript is due in August and the book to come out in 2019. This has slowed my Friday Posts to every other week and will try to maintain that schedule.

While in the midst of reading, researching, and writing this book, we took a trip to Mexico. One day we were walking in an area with many shops and merchants and I came upon a 20-peso bill laying on the cobblestone. I looked around and no one was near. A couple came walking toward me and they said, “Hey, it’s all yours man.”

I picked up the note and shortly handed it to a street vendor and told her to have a good day. It occurred to me that this is like grace – an unexpected, undeserved, unmerited gift. After sauntering through the market area for a while we lounged by the ocean.

Like a coconut falling from the tree, it later hit me that this is nothing like God’s grace. God doesn’t pick those that receive and those that don’t receive grace, it’s available to everyone. God doesn’t choose the woman selling bracelets and ignore the man selling sea shells. Everyone has the opportunity to receive grace, regardless of country, race, gender, or their lot in life – grace is even available to ocean chair loungers.

I later found out the 20-peso note is worth about one U.S. dollar. Then I knew it was nothing like grace. God does not dole out grace in small amounts; it is available and generous and never ending. If we’re open to it, we simply encounter grace.