After I posted recently about the importance of being kind to others, Barb, from My Life in Our Father’s World , commented with the following hashtag: #shareHisgrace.
While my piece spotlighted the usefulness of people cultivating the good, Barb shined a floodlight on where to find it in its purest form.
Thank you, friend, for bringing the focus back where it belongs—on God. You added to the value of my thoughts exponentially.
I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides You.
Psalm 16:2 (NASB)
This collaborative experience with a fellow believer jogged my memory about a true story of two people who showed uncommon grace to each other. It happened at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
Shuhei Nishida and Sueo Oe were two Japanese pole vaulters tied for second place at the summer games. However, as good friends and teammates, they declined to compete against each other (in a jump off) to decide between the silver and the bronze. So the silver was awarded to Nashida and the bronze to Oe, based on the fact that Nashida cleared the height in fewer attempts.
However, when they returned home to Japan, the two athletes did something extraordinary. They had a jeweler cut each of their medals in half and splice together two new ones—half silver and half bronze. They called these creations “Medals of Friendship.”
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in it’s various forms.
1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)
A Few Observations
- It’s God’s gift, not mine — the two athletes valued their friendship more than competition.
- It’s not MY grace, either — they demonstrated this by committing to something larger than themselves.
- God’s grace comes in different flavors — the Medals of Friendship were a unique way to show the true depth of their relationship.
My collaboration with Barb (and other believers, on and off-line) reminds me that our life in Christ is a shared experience. We are many members, but ONE body (Romans 12:4-5).
I like to call this interconnection “3 Makes 2”
Walk in the wisdom of God as you live before the unbelievers, and make it your duty to make Him known. Let every word you speak be drenched with grace and tempered with truth and clarity. For then you will be prepared to give a respectful answer to anyone who asks about your faith.
Colossians 4:4-5 (TPT)
