Experiencing Grace

[Jo McDonald]

                                   Experiencing Grace

      Note: This is actually a  true story and happened on 4/30/02 in a
youth ministry class at  Hannibal-LaGrange College in
Missouri. ----------------

     I left work early so I could have some uninterrupted study time right
before the final in my Youth Issues class. When I got to class, everybody
was doing their last minute studying. The teacher came in and said he would
review with us for just a little bit before the test. We went through the
review, most of it right on the study guide, but there were some things he
was reviewing that I had never heard of. When questioned about it, he said
that they were in the book and we were responsible for everything in the
book. We couldn't really argue with that.

      Finally it was time to take the test.

      "Leave them face down on the desk until everyone has one and I'll tell
you to start," our prof instructed.

      When we turned them over, every answer on the test was filled in! The
bottom of the last page said the following:

      "This is the end of the Final Exam. All the answers on your test are
correct. You will receive an 'A' on the final exam. The reason you passed
the test is because the creator of the test took it for you. All the work
you did in preparation for this test did not help you get the A. You have
just experienced...grace."

      He then went around the room and asked each student individually,
"What is your grade? Do you deserve the grade you are receiving? How much
did all your studying for this exam help you achieve your final grade?"

      Now I am not a crier by any stretch of the imagination, but I had to
fight back tears when answering those questions and thinking about how the
Creator has passed the test for me.

      Discussion afterward went like this: "I have tried to teach you all
semester that you are a recipient of grace. I've tried to communicate to
you
that you need to demonstrate this gift as you work with young people. Don't
hammer them; they are not the enemy. Help them, for they will carry on your
ministry if it is full of GRACE!"

      Talking about how some of us had probably studied hours and some just
a few minutes but had all received the same grade, he pointed to a story
Jesus told in Matthew 20. The owner of a vineyard hired people to work in
his field and agreed to pay them a certain amount. Several different times
during the day, he hired more workers. When it was time to pay them, they
all received the same amount. When the ones who had been hired first thing
in the morning began complaining, the boss said, "Should you be angry
because I am kind?" (Matthew 20:15).

      The teacher said he had never done this kind of final before and
probably would never do it again, but because of the content of many of our
class discussions, he felt like we needed to experience grace.

      Have you thanked your Creator today because of the grace you have
experienced? 

[Judy Harder]

Thank you Jo., I just shared that with my address book.

AOYP

[Lookatmeknow!!]

That is a wonderful story JO!!  It humbles me!!  I don't thank my creator enough.  He gave so much for us! I just wanted to thank you for the story!!