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When talking about God's love, a friend mentioned the word “commitment,” and it got lodged in my head and led us here. In thinking about commitment, my hubby came to mind. The dude is committed. He's also detail-oriented, observant, and thorough. (You've heard “opposites attract.” Well, it's true. Pray for the man.)

In the time we've been married, I've come to expect him to fix things. Basically, he fixes the things I break. Let's just say he has job security. He can back up semi-trucks into narrow spaces and use a welder to make things. I bump into things driving forward with our riding lawn mower and am currently sporting a burn from the latest run-in with my curling iron.

Commitment is a crucial part to maintaining a healthy relationship between two imperfect humans trying to co-exist in a marriage. Knowing the challenges of that, we can take comfort in knowing Jesus, perfect and steadfast, is committed to His “bride” (believers). He's in it for the long haul.

Jesus said in John 10:28-29 (ESV), “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”

Now let's consider grace. My husband is good at extending me grace. Loads. Just the other day I questioned why he extends me so much grace. (He's patient with this girl.) He said it's because he loves me. (Good answer.)

My husband's commitment to me and the grace he extends to me really became important the more we began experiencing life together - weathering the stresses and uncertainties of farming, trying to navigate parenting, and me not wearing “make-up” 24/7 - meaning my husband got to see the real me in all my dorky imperfect (sometimes frustrating) glory.

Let's continue considering grace but now in light of God. Basically His grace has to do with us receiving His undeserved favor because of Christ. When I first began to get a real glimpse of this, what it actually encompasses and the freedom it provides, I got a little nervous. Won't people take advantage of this and think they can now do whatever and get away with it? If we haven't considered this question or had that concern arise, I have to wonder if we've glimpsed the massiveness of this grace.

But think about this - the last time you felt genuinely loved by someone, and they extended grace after you made a mistake, did you feel like doing something that you knew would hurt them or go against their wishes? No. When we feel loved in spite of our shortcomings, our tendency is to want to please that person and love them back. A desire rises up within us to want to do something that will make them happy. God's extravagant grace isn't freedom TO sin, but it's freedom FROM sin. Shackles have been removed, and weights have been lifted.

This is the first time I've thought about God's attributes co-existing and operating simultaneously - God's amazing grace in light of His commitment. God has so many wonderful attributes. We often focus on them one at a time or one following behind the other, and because of that I think I missed out on something in the past. It's like talking about how I like chocolate. Then later I mention I like peanut butter, the creamy kind. Did you know I also enjoy ice cream? Yum. But when I put all three together something extraordinary happens - we get a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard. (Hold on as I wipe a tear from my eye. It's just so beautiful.)

And God, once again, has blown my mind. Let's go there, shall we? Throughout scripture it's said that God is unchanging, a promise keeper, and He doesn't lie. So what happens when we serve a God like that who extends us grace on top of His commitment? Something powerful. We've been given room to grow in the Lord without being forsaken. Like when I was checking the lawn mower's oil, and I got oil all over it and myself. I cleaned things up as best I could. Later my husband cleaned all the areas I had missed without getting mad at me. In the middle of our committed relationship, he extended me much needed grace. How did the oil get all over? I don't want to talk about it.

Committed grace. Grace-filled commitment. Room to grow and flourish in the midst of the secured freedom found in our Savior. Are you feeling something stirring? Maybe a desire to breathe, dance, and be free in light of God's grace and commitment? God has provided a secure place for us to be planted and grow in Christ when we join ourselves with Him, providing an opportunity for abundant life.

Once you're done with that “blizzard”, why don't you try another flavor. Maybe God's holiness mixed with His creativity. Or His omnipresence combined with His humor. Pick your own combination to chew on. (Don't tell me He doesn't have a sense of humor. Do I need to mention the hair I shave off the top of my big toe?)