Doubtless, the most sweeping energy within the broad scope of grace is the energy of redemption. That which was lost to God through sin is brought back to him through grace. All the power of sin and evil cannot stand before grace. Wherever sin exists, grace exists in exponential comparison. It is the grace of God that redeems and it is the grace of God that makes whole again.

I hated my life. I hated everything about it. In particular, I hated the United States Army in which I was a private. Black clouds lowered over the green countryside of New Jersey. Lightning exploded through the clouds and a white etching reached down to touch the ground not too far away. I stood on the elevator doors of the missile launcher and raised my fist at God. "If you exist," I screamed into the wind, "strike me dead and put me out of my misery!"

Such a scene may seem comical to some, but I was most in earnest. When finally I separated from the military, I decided to go to college. Enrolling at Southern Technical College, I signed up for electrical engineering classes. My math skills were dismal. As a C, D, and F student in high school, I was totally unprepared for such things as physics and chemistry. Two weeks after I started, I took my test paper, hopeless blank of answers to my physics teacher's office. Tears streaming down my cheeks, I laid it on his desk. He sat behind it staring at me like a large toad. "I can't do this!" I cried. Turning around, I walked out of his office and left for California.

Despair and Depression accompanied me as I drove alone across the country, sleeping in the car at night. I don't even remember eating. I took a job at an aluminum plant. The acrid chemicals inside the factory ate away at my lungs and my acne. My pillow was bloody and yellow each morning from the pus of bleeding cysts on the back of my neck. Fired from the factory job for lack of dexterity with my hands, I took a job with the local newspaper as a copy boy for $39 per week.

I lived with my sister who cared very deeply about me. There was little she could do for her 20 year-old brother whose world had caved in; whose life was so bitter.

Unknown to me one of my supervisors at work was a beliver in Jesus Christ. His habit each Saturday morning was to attend an early prayer session held in his pastor's study. A dozen or so men attended. At my supervisor's request, they prayed earnestly for me each Saturday for weeks. I knew nothing of this. Atheist that I claimed to be, I remember distinctly one sleepless night I got up out of bed and walked out into the moonlight. Looking at the moon, bright in its fullness, I wept.

I cried out to God again. This time not to strike me dead but for help. I don't know what I wanted from him, but I knew I needed something beyond the ability of myself or others to provide. Next day at work, my supervisor passed through my station and happened to mention something about God. For the first time, I was startled at the word.

"Did you say, 'God?'" I asked.

"Yes," said he.

I asked him to tell me more. We were at work so he couldn't talk much. He invited me to his home for dinner. I was amazed and shocked. He was my boss. No boss, in fact no one at all had ever invited me to dinner. The indimidation level was off the charts.

When I arrived at his door, I was met by a yapping, black, cocker spaniel. In a moment, his lovely daughter of 15 came to the door. She, her mom and dad -- all were happy to see me. I couldn't understand why these people seemed to like me. I was so nervous. They offered me a hamburger, which they had just grilled in th back yard. I refused, telling them a lie that I had already eaten and was not hungry.

This June 12, 2023, marked the 66th anniversary of that night when a confused, depressed and suicidal young atheist first tasted the grace of God. I remember the image that crushed my heart was that of Jesus dying on the cross -- for me. What did I do to deserve that kind of love? What did he do to deserve my unbelief and derision? If you will allow me to repeat myself, all the power of sin and evil cannot stand before grace. Wherever sin exists, grace exists in exponential comparison. It is the grace of God that redeems and it is the grace of God that makes whole again.

I know. It happened to me 67 years ago. That's a long time to enjoy the grace of God.