story about a feast of grace

In News by Carla

Good morning, and hello from Kalimpong! I hope this post finds you all doing really well. I’m recovering from a flu that has been going around the YWAM base this last week. How thankful I am for health, especially when I can contrast it so sharply with feeling unhealthy! The Southeast Asia team keeps passing it around, so prayers for health would be treasured from you in this time.

I’ve begun reading a book called What’s So Amazing About Grace? By Philip Yancey. I wanted to share a story within the book that I found such a beautiful parable of Jesus’ grace. Within Yancey’s book there is a story by written by Karen Blixen, called Babette’s feast written in the 1930s. The story is about two spinster sisters who lead a passed on mission begun by their father in a Denmark. They take in a French woman refuge, named Babette one night. For twelve years Babette cooks and cleans and feeds to poor for the two sisters in exchange for her services she is given room and board. At the end of twelve years Babette receives her first letter. The letter notifies her that her friends in France had been faithful and signed her name up for the lottery each year, and this year Babette had won 10,000 francs! The sisters were sad because they knew that Babette would soon be leaving. Babette’s winnings happened to coincide with the 100 year anniversary of their father’s birth, and Babette asked for a favor. She began by telling them that in twelve years she had not asked for anything, and the sisters agreed. Babette’s request was that she be able to prepare a French dinner for the anniversary service. The two spinster sisters agreed although reluctantly and shared this with the eleven others (all older and quite proper) that still attended the services who would also be having dinner. They agreed to eat the French meal withholding comments as tongues were meant for “praise and thanksgiving, not for indulging in exotic tastes.” Babette had made arrangements with cases of champagne, wine, vegetables, cow heads, pheasants, hams, tortoise, truffles, and small birds. The night before the feast it snowed creating a white crisp village where usually there is dullness.  The feast was served on crystal and china. One surprise guest raved throughout the meal at the extravagant delicacies served. All others sat mute. Gradually the food and drink soften the crowd and memories are shared as an easiness settles in among those present. After the meal they go outside an in the whiteness, under the stars, join hands and sing together the old songs of their faith. Back inside the kitchen Babette sits in the middle of a wrecked kitchen debris, shells, bones, vegetable pieces, and empty bottles around her. She is exhausted. They tell her it was a nice dinner and that they would remember it as the night Babette returned to France. Babette tells them that she used to be a world renown chef in a café in France. She will not be returning to France, all her friends and family are dead because of the war and it costs a lot of money to return. The sisters remind her of her lottery winnings. That is when Babette drops the bomb: She spent every last franc of her winnings on the feast they just devoured.

Yancey goes on to tell us this is a parable about grace. The cost of grace is absolutely nothing for those who receive, and costs EVERYTHING to the giver. The only way grace can come is free of charge, and no strings attached. This illustration hit me hard. My, how amazing grace is! And, how often I devour the gift without understanding the treasure I am holding.
I spoke at church on Sunday, and had the privilege of sharing what God has been talking to me about lately. His extravagant, gentle, jealous, incredible love, and also God’s desire for his children to dream BIGGER God sized dreams—dreams that fail unless God shows up. Ever since outreach began I was nervous about having to speak in front of others. Wondering what I would have to say? Having a deep root of doubt regarding the validity of what God is doing in my life. This is just a lie that snuck in, and tried to prevent me from sharing about how GOOD God is, all the time. Before I spoke I spent time with God, and He is faithful to guide us in what to share. When I take the time to prepare and make notes I find I often don’t use them, but in preparing I have the ability to be lead more easily by the Holy Spirit. God’s grace is SO beautiful, extravagant… and we don’t deserve it, but I’m so so glad its extended to us anyway. 

How can you pray?
Please pray for continued health, team unity, being present and focus on Jesus as our time on outreach winds down– one more week before we finish our lecture phase and graduate in Israel on August 11th.

Wisdom for decisions after graduation regarding where God is calling the students of the Around the World DTS School. Praying against decisions made as reactions or fear, but courage to follow the voice of our Heavenly Father.