WHAT’S IN A NAME?
You can find it in almost any grocery store or supermarket. If you polled the shoppers you would find out that most, if not all, have heard of it; many of them have it in their kitchens; and most of them have used it. Today it is one of the most popular products on the market. In 1957 when a patent was issued to the inventor of a new cooking spray, a decision had to be made on how to market it. Should it be named after the company that owned it, like products from Johnson & Johnson? Or would it sell better if they just gave it a generic name such as, “New Cooking Spray.” After much discussion they decided to name it “PAM” – PAM Cooking Spray. But why PAM? Was that an ingredient or some new substance? No, they named it PAM because that is an acronym for the name of the inventor: Product of Arthur Meyerhoff. Amazing what you can learn when you discover what the name of something stands for! The same is true of the word GRACE. It signifies unmerited favor; getting something one does not deserve or has earned. We see GRACE exemplified when instead of doing away with Adam and Eve after they sinned in the garden, God allowed them to go on living. We see it when God allowed Noah to escape the flood so his family could continue to expand. God’s GRACE was extended to David after his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah. Peter was the recipient of God’s GRACE after he denied Jesus three times. The GRACE of God was offered to Paul even though he was responsible for killing a number of believers. The list goes on and on. The list of acronyms for GRACE is long, but one that I love is: God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense. When you know more about how something came into being, it gives you a greater appreciation for the work that was done to bring it about and how fortunate you are in having it available to you. This is so true of God’s GRACE. It is more than just a word; it is a willful act of undeserved love, compassion and mercy. So every morning it wouldn’t be a bad idea to start each day by thanking God for His GRACE.
