The Headwaters Blog

The Reserve You Didn’t Earn

Listen, being a Vietnam Vet I’ve spent more years than I’d like to admit thinking everything in this life had to be bought with sweat, blood, or a stack of paperwork. In the service, you don't get anything you don't earn. But life outside the wire? That’s a different story.

I eventually learned that the most important thing we’ve got isn't a paycheck or a pension. It’s Grace. Now, don't go getting misty-eyed on me—I’m talking about the real stuff. Grace is the unmerited gift of divine favor. It’s the supply drop you didn't call in, arriving right when you’re down to your last ration. You didn't earn it, you don't deserve it, but there it is.

In the motor pool, we knew better than to send a vehicle out on a long-range patrol with a half-empty tank. Life is the same way. You can’t get around in

this world if you’re running on fumes. You’ve got to be intentional to keep your grace tank full.

For me, that means:

Taking time in the morning to sit with the Commander and get my orders.

Admitting where Ifail so that Favor can fill in the gaps.

Surrounding myself with people who remind me that I’m not the one in charge of the universe.

If you let that tank run dry, you’ll start relying on your own grit. And take it from an old soldier: grit eventually wears out. Grace doesn't.

There’s a season for everything. I’ve seen enough to know that the same Favor that helps you get through a Monday morning is the same stuff that carries you across the finish line.

There is a grace to live and there is a grace to die.

The first gives you the strength to get back up when the world knocks the wind out of you. It’s the "grace to live" that helps you forgive the person who doesn't deserve it or find joy in a simple cup of coffee. But when the march is finally over, there’s a different kind of peace that settles in. That "grace to die" is the quiet assurance that the mission is complete and Home Base is finally in sight.

Stay fueled up, friends. The road can get long, but the Supply is endless.