This morning we walked around Granada before the city awoke, and it was refreshing to travel in a smaller group with the flexibility to roam, wander, and take plenty of pictures. After stopping at the tourism office to buy 3-day passes that get us in to the major attractions here, we went to the Granada Catedral and Chapilla. I bought a few postcards and a sticker for Libby the Jeep, of course. (Stay on my good side and you might see a postcard in your future.)
And then, perhaps my favorite place in all of Spain thus far...drumroll please...a monastery. What? A monastery? Yes. Absolutely. Loved it. I could have stayed siting in the courtyard there all day long. The history in the building, the beauty of its structure, the life in its gardens, and the discipline of solitude that it represents are all things my heart needed to see and hear & see today. I was stilled, I was stunned, and I was in awe once more of Christ himself.
It's interesting that this experience at the monastery was so intimate, because in most Cathedrals we have been in or near so far, my tendency has been to feel overwhelmed. The buildings are ancient and magnificent in size and splendor but something used to crawl under my skin...something that made me squirm a little bit because I know that the grandeur of the building is not at all necessary in order for us to be found in Christ and in the center of God's love.
But today, the simplicity and serenity of the monastery bridged a gap for me. I can appreciate the Cathedrals for the history and beauty, recognizing that they were built not so much in an effort to "get to" God, as much as they are intended to give him the glory that he is all so worthy of. Today, in the chapel of the monastery, intricately and ornately covered in paintings, gold, and garnet, all I heard was, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
GRACE. At the end of the day, it's still all that really matters to me in this life.
...Which leads me to share one more point- John 1:16 in Spanish says, "En efecto, de su plenitud todos hemos recibido gracia sobre gracia." In English, that verse says, "And from his fulness we have all received, grace upon grace."
Something about the Spanish words speaks volumes louder to me. The word "sobre" has different uses, but in this context it translates, to me, as grace literally layered on top of grace. Again and again and again, grace covering grace. May we never lose perspective of the power of the gospel and the strength in its truth..where life itself is found.
Now, back to my café in the streets of Granada- I think I'll pick up the word for a little while and get to know the heart of my God a little bit better. Maybe even with some vino blanco and ensaladilla rusa. After all, it is a sunny afternoon.
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