Chore day

Beautiful weather day. Laundry took awhile today, one washing machine worked, one took the money and refused, then took the money and worked. ($2). Then the one dryer worked and one dryer didn't but i didn't retry it (1.25). Eventually got two loads done...all that was needed. Got one load of dishes done. Took the trash out.
Got the clothes folded. Flushed the holding tank and then the gray water so that should be good for another week. Little one got just a short run of driving practice in.

She's pretty good at keeping it very near the line, either the center or the shoulder. Today we were on a narrow 2 lane with no actual paint, an unmarked road...cruising along between 30-35 she met quite a few oncoming vehicles and each time kept it right on the right edge (where grass meets road) and learned to move her focus to the right line when meeting an oncoming vehicle...which is critical in night driving.

In the driveway she got to work the pedals and drive. Pretty smooth stops. I'm at least half as impressed as she is pleased. Trying to get the house stuff all caught up so I can get some intense work done next week...LG is going to help me tomorrow by walking by and handing me a handful of stuff to do something with if she sees me setting idle or distracted. If she can stay on task well enough, this just might work.

We've been discussing names alot lately, and that lead to a discussion of "Grace".
I tried to explain it in simple terms "that is being kind to someone because you are kind, even if they don't deserve it". She liked that answer and seemed to have a grasp of it. Made me think that a person can spend their entire lives comprehending the "Grace" characteristic of God's personality.

"Two men went up to the temple to pray," sounds like I'm starting a Jewish joke but actually this wasn't a joke but...a lesson about how God sees things...Jesus was talking..."one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank Thee that I am not like other men--extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess'. But the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18.10-14)

I can try to imagine God's reaction to both prayers. Exalting myself to a satisfactory "label" of righteous living...is to fail to comprehend and treasure what happened in the death and resurrection of the Son of God. Its kind of telling God the sacrifice was a nice gesture but basically unnecessary at least as far as "me and my kind". It would be humbling to get put with the common passengers if I think my being on the flight was to be first class "based on merit". Comprehending the word "grace" is a growing experience, in that we comprehend it in more dimensions as we experience, as we grow.

I know the real "lesson" of that text is about self exaltation but patiently hear both prayers as you see God hearing them..knowing them as He knows them, loving them as He loves them...There is a deep message about the "Grace" aspect of God in that passage.

Ok, thats about all that has been on my mind this day...except I'm aching a great deal in all me bones today...feel like a rusty old man, but it'll pass, it'll pass.