Faces of Grace

What does God’s grace look like? It comes in all shapes and sizes and ages and faces. As I look back over my life — my Journey of Grace — I’m amazed at how God has not only provided the grace-filled pathway, but also the people to help me along that pathway by displaying and serving as a conduit of His grace to me.

The first examples I see are my parents, Bob and Phyllis Cyr, who so openly embodied God’s grace in their marriage and in the way they lovingly built their family with one biological child, five adopted children representing three ethnicities, and two long-term foster children. So, from very early on, I saw God’s inclusive grace daily demonstrated in the make-up and life of my family.

I experienced God’s grace through the life of my grandfather, John Wesley Wood. He was a tall, quiet man who worked hard, lived generously and with integrity, and displayed God’s love and compassion to everyone, wherever he went. He was one of my heroes. He lived and farmed just down the road from us, and he would often drive his old truck down to our farm to see how we were doing and just love on us. As a small boy, I loved talking and riding with him in his big truck as he hauled sweet corn to the cannery, or went to the co-op store for farming supplies, or while he was driving his tractor in the field. His faith was powerful, and I loved listening to him pray. It was always so personal. I would sometimes open my eyes while he was praying to see if Jesus was actually physically there … it felt like such a holy place. He showed me both the majesty and intimacy of God.

Despite all the hard work required on our farm, my family was at our Emmett, Idaho, Nazarene church every Sunday morning for Sunday school and worship. We went to every Sunday night and midweek service, revival, special event, etc. Whenever the church doors were open, we were there being taught, encouraged, challenged, loved, and guided along the journey of grace by a host of faithful people who were daily living out what it meant to be and make Christlike disciples. They may not have used Journey of Grace language, but that’s exactly what they were doing: walking with Jesus and helping others do the same.

When I was 12 years old, I experienced God’s grace in another way through those same faithful disciples when they showed up at our family farm on that cold November day when my dad died in a farming accident. They came with tears streaming down their faces, ladened down with food for our family and love in their hearts, to help milk the cows and bring in the harvest and help my mom and us eight kids (I was the oldest) face the new reality of life without a husband and father. And they returned day after day after day, even though their farms and businesses needed their attention. God’s grace shared through them kept us going, driving away bitterness, anger, and fear, and filling us with love and hope.

My journey has continued from those early days, filled with youth workers, college and seminary professors, friends, my grace-filled wife, Bethany, youth pastor colleagues, missionary colleagues, mentors, my adult children, and the list goes on and on and on of people that God has placed in my path to guide and challenge and encourage me as He continually pours out His grace upon me. I praise God for this great cloud of witnesses that he placed in my life. May you and I do and be the same for others.

Monte Cyr is a missionary and the NDI Global Council member representing the Mesoamerica Region.