[3] “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. [4] I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.” Genesis 46:3-4 NIV

When we walked into Mission Aviation Fellowship’s headquarters, the first thing we saw was what was left of the martyr Nate Saint’s airplane. Just in case we hadn’t yet counted the cost.

But we knew, through so many confirmations, that this was the work God had prepared for us, and, most importantly, that He went with us. It was life on the edge, complete dependence on Him for 6 years, and man did it grow us.

The worst was when my hubby had a mayday call. His engine went to 20 percent power, and he picked the tree he would land in as he went through the emergency checklist. Thankfully God allowed him to get the engine going again and he was able to land on the river instead, where his float plane belonged.

At this time we had a 1 year old and had just found out we were expecting our second child the night before. I knew none of his adventure until he got home that night, because my man knows I like to visually verify that he is ok.

We hugged, cried, prayed, laughed, and cried some more. Then he left the next morning to do it all again. That was the hardest day for me.

I don’t remember much about that next day except praying and being very aware of what time it was, and how many hours were left until my man would get home. I’m sure my 1 year old made out like a bandit that day – I did not have the emotional energy for a battle of wills!

I cried again when my husband got back home that night. Life slowly retuned to normal, but we never really forgot just how dependent we are on God’s grace.

And we know that someday God will call us home, and that will be His grace too.

I needed to tell myself this story again as I am sitting in day 7 of a power outage caused by isolated tornadoes and a deracho. We are not currently in any danger, just inconvenienced, hot and irritated. Which is God’s grace. Each day we have walked around our neighborhood and tried to take in the countless mature trees on the ground. The only explanation that their wasn’t more loss of life is God’s grace.

If the storm had come on a normal summer week, our youngest, a teenager, would have been home by herself when the storm hit, with a tree smashing our shed and back fence. She would have been home alone when the house 6 blocks from us exploded a few minutes later, and police officers ran on foot down our street to get to it because every street was blocked by trees and power lines. But because of an extra meeting, I was home. Grace. Our other daughter’s middle name.

We grieve with those who lost loved ones in this storm and the simultaneous flooding in central Indiana, but we don’t grieve like those who have no hope, because of grace.

How has God shown you His grace?