Thermals

A thermal is a column of air that is warmer and less dense than the air that surrounds it so that inside the thermal there is an updraft. As long as a bird or a glider opens up their wings they can be borne up by the flow of warm air and can remain aloft with almost no effort on their part. God's grace is like a thermal. As long as we open ourselves up to receive it, we can be buoyed up by a force of light and warmth that will allow us to soar closer to our Heavenly Father with little effort on our part. Just like thermals are natural phenomena of which soaring birds would be foolish enough not to take advantage, so too is God's grace a natural outpouring of God's love for us that we should not hesitate nor feel guilty to embrace and utilize on our journey through life. We can clutch our wings tight to our chest and say to ourselves that we don't deserve light or warmth or to be lifted up, or we can open ourselves up and receive the light and warmth and be lifted up by God's grace. The thermals are there whether the birds choose to utilize them or not, and God's grace is there whether we choose to receive it or not. We may not often deserve it but to ignore it would be to despise God's gift and make our journey harder than it needs to be. If we can open ourselves to grace then we can soar above the problems which so easily beset us and we will be happier and God will be happier that we receive His grace with the same generosity of spirit with which it was given.