grace that precedes and follows

As you've no doubt noticed, I've had a tough time with the readings, especially the gospel, for this week. As CJ so aptly noted in her comment to Teusday's post, "Sometimes we go to the Temple and the priests because we have faith, and sometimes we find faith because we turn around to go the Temple."

I think that's what the collect for this week is getting at when it prays for God's grace to always precede and follow us. For the lepers the grace was ahead of them; it is what motivated them to ask for mercy. For me the grace came following; in the midst of doubt I asked and God showed me his faithfulness in my faithlessness. Ideally, we are like the tenth leper for whom grace both preceded him (in his asking) and followed him (in this return to offer thanks). Those are the best days, I think, and the days in which we are most capable of the second half of the prayer; to be continually given to good works. When there is nothing to worry about because of our awareness of God's grace surrounding us on every side, then can good works flow. Otherwise, like Maslow's hierarchy shows, we've got other stuff to worry about. May your day be filled with the awareness of God's grace surrounding you, and may that set you free to do the good works which God so greatly appreciates.