Mercy and Grace

The first little clay 12 week fetus models I made were not very good. The smaller one's head broke off, as did her arm. I had not learned to smooth the clay well yet, so she was all pitted, cracked, and lumpy. The second larger model was better, but shared some unfortunate lumps and folds that should not have been there. So when I brought my first batch of babies to the Right To Life sidewalk counselor, I held back those first two. They were not good enough.

Still, they had a life-like feel to them, and I decided I would try to fix them rather than throw them away. Somehow, it seemed wrong to just toss such human looking creatures, even inanimate ones. I went to Michaels, the craft store, and found special glue, air dry clay for small corrections, Mod Podge for sealing cracks, and new clay tools to make future babies better. I didn't know if any of it would work, but wanted to have a go at it. They were so little and defenseless...it just didn't seem I should give up on them just because they were imperfect.

So first I replaced the broken head and arm. I glued them back in position. A day later when the glue dried, the parts stayed on, but the huge crack where they were joined was gruesome looking. So next, I used air dry clay to fill in the gaps. The little baby was missing her nose, so I fashioned a teeny tiny nose and stuck it carefully in place. I used the same air dry clay to cover the larger baby's incorrect folds and lumps. A day later, the clay was dry, but of course, a different color than the rest of the babies' bodies. I would have to paint them. Before painting them, I carefully sanded away the lines where the two different clays joined, and sanded the pits and irregularities on the lumpy figures. I apologized to them as I did so because I am sure sanding away imperfections hurts like heck...but it had to be done or they would never be smooth.

Now it was time to paint. The models are only 2 inches long, so I used my tiniest paintbrush and carefully painted skin tone, with a little redness in the cheeks and mouth. I painted tiny shadows between the fingers and in the ears. A day later, when the paint was dry, I painted a layer of Mod Podge sealant all over my little babies. I propped them up so they could dry without sticking to the table. It was a long process, and at times, rather tedious. It did not always look as if it would work. I was never certain they would turn out exactly as I hoped.

In the end, the little babies were not at all bad. They took about ten times as long to make as the ones I had done for the Right to Life counselor, and perhaps didn't look quite as good. Still, they were a whole lot better than they had started off and I had learned quite a lot about restoration of broken things. And the strange thing was that after all that work and effort, I decided I would keep these two little babies. They had become very dear to me, so carefully and lovingly saved from the garbage. They would remind me that for the Creator, sometimes the most precious souls are the ones that others might discard. Sometimes the ones most in need of His mercy and grace are the very ones that His love could transform most dramatically.

Our sermon Sunday was by a visiting pastor. He was Puerto Rican. He had been an atheist, and involved in very bad things. Almost committed murder, hard drug use, and even drug dealing. But the word of God kept attacking him, searing his conscience, over and over in unexpected ways. Even the snippets he would hear of televangelists preaching the Gospel would reduce him to tears. In the end, he repented and believed, and gave his life to God. He went to seminary and became a pastor. And when he spoke of God's grace and mercy in saving him, the worst of sinners, he choked up (as did most of the congregation.) I suspect everyone, at least those like me who came to The Lord as an adult, remembered a life of sin they deeply regretted. Sometimes the ones most in need of His mercy and grace are the very ones that HIs love could transform most dramatically...and really, we *all* are most in need of His mercy and grace.

I put the little hand-painted babies on my shelf and knew what I would name them. Of course! Mercy, and Grace.

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God is all mercy and grace— not quick to anger, is rich in love. God is good to one and all; everything he does is suffused with grace. My mouth is filled with God ’s praise. Let everything living bless him, bless his holy name from now to eternity! (Psalm 145:8, 9, 21 MSG)



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