if grace were an ocean...I would absolutely sink

.photo by the lovely Nicole Pinkleton.

In December I finally got my tattoo. The words say "if Grace is and ocean we're all sinking" from the worship song "How He Loves." This portion of the song has always held so much meaning in my life and is a huge representation as to why I accepted God's astounding grace. 

 In January I was at the beach helping staff a conference and we decided to . While there I had my shoes off and a friend asked about my tattoo. She knew what song it was from but she wanted to know what I thought about when I looked down and saw it on my body. What it meant and why it is so significant to me. I looked down and then looked out at the ocean and began to tell her the story behind it's significance.

The idea of God's grace being an ocean is such a beautiful and accurate illustration. When I stand on a beach and stare out at the ocean a sense of awe comes over me. Looking out and not being able to comprehend  how far, wide, or deep the ocean is completely astounds me. The ocean is so big and vast even those with the greatest of intelligence can't fully understand its depths and wonders. I pointed to the ocean, with its crashing waves and mystery in the dark night and said "that is what I feel when I think of sinking in the midst of God's grace.                                                                                    

Grace is....

full of mystery yet so complete

joyful and grievous

powerful and gentle

breathtaking and invigorating 

overwhelming and calming 

The grace that God has given us is everywhere. It covers all shame, does not discriminate, and has no limits. It is absolutely pure and holds no memory of our wrongs, Christ took them all in His death on the cross and rising from the grave. Making it more than we could comprehend but everything that we need.

The idea of sinking into an ocean is exactly what happens with us and Gods grace. It is something that comes over us so powerfully that we sink under the amount that comes over us. When I was in high school I was in the middle of a terrible relationship that ultimately turned abusive. For a long time after the relationship ended with very jaggedly, I felt as if it was solely my fault, shame overcame me and rooted its self so deep within my life that I let it separate me from even thinking about the salvation that God had for me. But ultimately is was grace through Christs death and rising is what brought me out of the shame and regret, giving my spirit fullness in Christ and Christ alone. There is a verse in John that I feel perfectly represents the idea of us sinking under the amazing thing that is Gods grace. It says,

"And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace" -John 1:16 

This is what my tattoo is largely based off of. That through the FULLNESS of Christ we receive one grace after another. This is so much grace that it is as if we are sinking in it. Like an ocean's depths we will never truly know the ends of Gods grace, because it does not end. It is that vast and wondrous. it astounds me each time I reflect on my life or look down at the script arching across my skin.