It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way

Toward's a Life Filled With God's Grace

A few years back I was part of a group called Renovaré. It was one of those intensive groups where people from all over the country would meet online, then gather for 4 weeks over a two-year span to learn together in person.

Renovaré is also the group that was strongly connected to Dallas Willard before he died; the regular reader will know my admiration for him and appreciation for all of his work. So the opportunity to gather with others who have also been impacted by his life and teaching was something I couldn't pass up.

While participating in Renovaré, I met a lot of wonderful people, one of them being a South African pastor named Trevor Hudson. Trevor was a friend of Dallas for a long time, and you could tell that they had traveled the same roads with Jesus as they sought to help people live fully in the Kingdom of God. Suffice it to say that I was eager to listen to him teach.

In one of his first lessons during our retreat, he said something like this: “The first step towards a life of grace is thinking, ‘It doesn't have to be this way.’”

Years later, he would go on to write a book where he expanded on this statement, saying:

"The worst thing that has happened does not have to be the last thing. Just because things get broken, they don’t have to stay that way. Something beautiful, something good can be born. Life can become wonderfully different. It doesn’t have to be this way."

I often think that thought as I'm meeting with people, or even reflecting on my own life. A life filled with grace is possible; it won’t be free from pain, trials, or challenges, but it can be filled with grace that comes from God. Nobody said that life, as it is currently experienced by millions of people, has to be the way it is.

In November, we’re planning on hosting a mini-retreat at the church I serve. It will aim to help people who feel harassed by the cultural zeitgeist of hurry, worry, anxiety, despair, and the like.

Our goal is to create an environment where, for 3 hours, people can look at things as they are, begin to envision how they could be, share and hear stories, and learn about some God-oriented, grace-filled practices that can help recalibrate our hearts toward God.

And I could use your help.

While I have heard from a few people about their struggles in this season, I would like to hear from more. I know, I know! Pastors are always so nosy! Don’t think of it that way, think of it as sharing your story with me so I can understand… okay, I guess it is a little nosy. But you’ll be helping me create something that is more informed and less assumptive.

Here is what I’d like to learn from you:

• Describe what a flourishing life looks like to you.

• Describe how your life felt the past 1 to 4 years.

• Describe your relationship with God the past 1 to 4 years.

• Describe ways you regularly experience being known by God.

• Describe some of the things that are barriers in your relationship with God.

• Describe some of the things that help you feel closer to God.

Put all of these in the comments section below…

Just kidding! But if there is a question you think is helpful, you can put that below.

If you will participate, please email me at mkanyion@gmail.com. All responses will be held with the utmost confidence, but please do not feel inclined to disclose anything that seems too personal.

Your responses will help us get a better picture of how people are experiencing life and thus create a space for them to begin experiencing more of God's grace in their lives.

Thank you.