Gutters of Grace

In our area fierce summer thunderstorms often drop a large amount of rain in a very short time. The gutters of my house serve a vital function by channelling the rain. However, when my gutters are clogged up with leaves and moss, the rainwater cannot flow freely.

In a way, we are called to be ‘gutters’, channels of God’s love and grace. Yet—like the gutters on the roof of my house—our lives can become filled with debris. When this happens, we fail to be effective channels of God’s refreshing and life-giving water. This debris will look slightly different for each of us. Perhaps it is the busyness of our lives or the worries and fears that consume our thinking. Perhaps it is an unwillingness to forgive or unresolved issues from our past. For me, ambition and seeking people’s approval often take centre stage in my life.

Anything that causes us to focus on ourselves instead of on God can prevent us from being effective servants. When we regularly ask God to show us this debris and allow him to help us clean it out, we can become channels of his grace.

Prayer: Dear God, help us to remove from our lives anything that is keeping us from seeing you and the needs of those around us. Amen