GRACE

You could run through all 13 letters of Paul in the New Testament - read the beginnings and endings of all of them and here's what they'd say -- Paul begins and ends each of them with a blessing of grace on the reader.  At the beginning of each letter he typically says, 'Grace to you,' and at the end of each he typically says, 'Grace be with you.'  

In all 13.  That seems significant.

It's grace from first to last.

Grace is the only word common to all those blessings.  Some add mercy.  Some add peace.  Some add love.  But all have grace.  Every letter of Paul's.

So if I said, 'Grace to you,' I would mean starting now ... grace.
If I said, 'Grace be with you,' I would mean starting now ... grace.

Not that you haven't known grace in the past, or haven't experienced it up to this moment, but may God go on being gracious to you, starting now.  Grace upon grace.  More and more grace.

That's the grace I'd like to pour out.  How about you?  I know it's the grace we all want to receive, but is it the same grace we purpose to show?

And be blessed.