Each time I drive by this I think of an imaginary place where I turn away from the wasteland of wrong thinking. It’s a beautiful dwelling place in my mind where I turn my thinking over to the truths about who Christ is and who I am in Him. It’s a plantation where I sew the seeds of grace and preach the gospel to myself. It’s a habitat that I call Graceland.
So I finally had enough forethought to bring the camera and ask the question my husband hears all too often, “Will you pull over so that I can take a picture?”
When I visit Graceland in my mind I see, once again, that I’ve already been made alive with Christ by His grace and raised up, along with all of the other followers, with Him and we’ve been seated with him in the heavenly places in Him.
I remember my true identity and the identity of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I recall that I am dead to sin and alive to God and that, although I sin, my most true self is not just a sinner, but a saint because I am found in Christ. Because I’m found in Christ, I have a new identity and an entirely new way of looking at myself.
“But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” -Romans 6:17-18
And if that wasn’t enough…”But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith.” -Ephesians 2:4-8
We’ve been raised but we also await being raised. A remembrance of the past (I’ve been raised) and also a reminder of a future reality (I will be shown in the coming ages the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward His people in Christ).
A game-changer if I would intentionally turn to these truths…enter Graceland in my mind. The imagination can be used for good.
I can imagine a place in my mind where all of these truths are easy access and a reality right now. I can also imagine my future.
Do you ever dream of eternity?
We are in this world but we’re also citizens of heaven. A place where grace will truly reign with God and also with each other. So we are raised and are being raised. But the Kingdom of God is also being brought here through us as we bear fruit of His the Spirit right here in this world. How can I cooperate with that playing out here…bringing Jesus’ Kingdom to bear in the here and now?
How is Christ bringing his kingdom to bear through His people in the world right now?
How can I partake in bringing the kingdom to bear in my part of the world right now?
As I dream about entering Graceland now and in the future eternity with Christ—these are the the questions I ask.
Linking up this week with the following inspiring and encouraging blogs. I highly recommend visiting any and all of them!
I’m so grateful that we’ve been made to carry the seeds of “graceland” in our hearts. Thanks for sharing this concept, Amy and for your presence at #SmallWonder.
Hi Kelly–thanks for visiting and for the linkup where everyone there carries the seeds of “graceland” to hearts needing to be reminded…
Amy, I love this reminder that our hearts were made for grace by a God who gives liberally. Blessings!
So thankful he didn’t just make us to need and desire grace, but gives, as you say, liberally. Thanks for the visit!
I love how you wrote this and God did give us the gift of imagination to use in many ways for him. Graceland is just one avenue to drawing closer to God. I like this. Coming over from SDG an glad to read your blog.
Celebrating out true identity in Christ. Oh such a special place to be. Beautifully written friend. ~~your neighbor at #raralinkup
Graceland. I love that! Great play on words. I’m sure not going to forget that one. Thanks!
Thank you and thanks for visiting…
I love how this place reminds you to think about eternity. I have a serence park around the block which does the same for me. My favorite time is at dusk when the fireflies and bats fill up the hollows and dimly lit sky with their movings. When they do what they do (which is just eat and live their lives), it helps me to see God’s creativity and I can’t help but worship Him. Visiting from #TellHisStory.
I love your description of your serene place. It sounds lovely! Thank you for visiting wastelandtograceland!
Amen! Praise God for his grace! Let us live in the light of this gift. Visiting from #livefreeThursday.
I like that–live in light of His gift! Thanks for visiting!
I don’t think I’ve ever really thought of the name Graceland being just that–Grace Land! Beautiful, Amy. This dream home is our reality. So blessed!
Hi Lisa! Grace Land is becoming more real to me…it truly is our reality! Thanks for visiting Lisa!
His grace is lavished on us, one translation says. I love that.
Hi Elizabeth…I love that too. My husband likes to say that often (he is a pastor)…that His grace is lavished on us. And the rest of the verse says that he lavished it on us in all wisdom and insight. Wow! Thanks for visiting…
I. Love. Graceland. (not the Elvis type. the God type.) Lifting myself from the waste today. Entering Grace. Again. Thank you. xoxo
visiting from Missional Women, I love your faithful heart in this blog, your ache for a place for jesus in your heart and in your life!!
Beautiful, Amy! Just amazing, isn’t it? —> “because I am found in Christ.” Oh, I need to read that over and over again. I love thinking about it as Graceland and that we can turn there to renew our minds, to take each thought captive. Such a great question as to how can we cooperate with the Kingdom of God right now? Blessings from Espressos of Faith!
Being found in Christ is so beautiful. In my last blog, I compared it to how I felt seeing my daughter’s face for the first time – an indescribable love.
Reading your words remind me of the weekend I just spent at a Beth Moore conference. She spoke some very similar words. We are really citizens of Heaven but here at this time to God’s image bearer. I love how you described God’s grace and His mercy for each of us. Beautiful words today. So blessed you shared them at The Weekend Brew.
I came over on the You Are Invited Link up today because I saw the name “Graceland.” I am actually a resident of Memphis, TN, where one of our greatest attraction is Elvis Presley’s house – also called “Graceland.”
But I like your definition much better! To think of Graceland as a “plantation where I sew the seeds of grace and preach the gospel to myself” is awesome.
So, I will not hear the name or see the signs for Graceland again without thinking of God’s grace.
Thanks for sharing~
Blessings,
Melanie