Grace Like Parking Lots

If you look out at any random parking lot, you will probably see the same thing: some cars that are really nicely and squarely parked, and some that are parked so badly it makes one question when Stevie Wonder became a parking attendant. The driver side is right up against the line and the door is just waiting to bash up against the car on the left as soon as it’s open an eighth of inch. The wheels are turned so far to the right that if left that way you will manage to rear end yourself as soon as you pull out. The kind of park job your ancestors would be ashamed of (I’m talking pre-automobile ancestors, who will quickly get over your magic rolling box and focus on how badly you suck).

The kind of parking that I usually do if I am in a hurry or just don’t care. I am very bad at parking, or anything that involves creating or following straight lines actually. I would say that, without frequent backing up and reparking, most of the time the only reason that I am in a parking spot has to do with how wide the spot is. Whether or not I am tucked away safely in a spot or hanging the butt end of the car out is not entirely dependant on me; sometimes it has to do with who painted the lines.

I think that the parking lot is quite a bit like God’s grace. If I’m not in the parking spot, I’m not in the parking spot; I could be parked nice and straight and not be in a parking spot. I can be parked at a 37 degree angle and on fire, but if I fit in that spot I’m in.

In a similar way, a right standing with God cannot be negotiated. In order to be square with God, we have to admit that we can’t do it on our own. We accept that we need the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and we let the Holy Spirit into our lives so he can change our hearts and minds. I do not set the standard, but I am not expected to me it on my own either.

I once wrote something similar, but it was shorter and better written than this, but as always I hope that what I write stimulates thought or can be beneficial in one way or another. Remember: Your park job will look crappy sometimes and other times it will be nice and neat. What matters is that you are in a parking spot. You will fail to live the way God wants, but not always. What matters is if you have trusted Jesus Christ to paint the lines of the parking lot.