Saint or sinner?

"You-are-a-SAINT!"  A stranger exclaimed as I sat in the mall feeding Emily and Abby. 
The girls always choose different foods for lunch, so as I fed them, I mixed up their bites.  They were laughing at me; Hannah, Sarah, and I quickly joined in.  From a glance, I probably looked like Mother Teresa bringing food and joy to the least of these.

My standard reply to this unexpected canonization flew out of my mouth with a smile, "I'm not a saint, just a mom and they have to eat, right?"

It does make me wonder; am I a saint...a sinner...either of them?

I wake up each day with the intention of doing the best I can do. Sometimes I look at my girls and think 'Yes! this is exactly what I've hoped for them', other days, 'Exactly how many days do I have left with them to try to do this right?'  Neither thought makes me a saint or a sinner.  I've certainly not considered myself a saint, ever.  I try not to think of myself as a sinner either, but I am.  A sinner in need of a Savior. 

I am a saint also...yes folks, really.  Saved by grace.

It's not because of my skills as a mother (trust me...not).  No amount of good work or parenting that I could ever do would make me a saint. I'm not a saint of Catholic standards, for sure.  I'm not exalted into sainthood because I choose to care for Emily and Abigail.  I'm a saint because my God says I am a part of His family. 

"Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,  having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone"  Ephesians 2:18-19 (NKJ)

The word saint comes from the Greek word "hagios" which means “consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious." Saints of the bible (and today) are literally the body of Christ and are almost always referred to in plural.  We are meant to serve together.  There is certainly a world view of the word, but it holds significant meaning in our faith.

So, how do you think of yourself ? 

What about others? 
Do you look at those around you like my new friend at the mall did and think "she's definitely a saint.  I couldn't do what she does."  Or do you look at those obviously making mistakes and think, "well, they're toast!  Why can't they get ever get it together?"

As humans, we quickly try to categorize people based on their circumstance.  Where they live, the way they speak, or what they look like.  I do it too.  Sometimes I can't help myself.  An opinion pops in my mind before I even think about it.

I realize and appreciate that someone is trying to say "I see you" or "I don't think I could do what you do".  We all do what God equips us to do. But human works, however wonderful they may be, can not create saints.  What makes one a saint is grace. Grace that I don't even understand. My bible says that when I believed, I was a saint, not because of anything I did and not because of my failures, but because of the amazing grace of God.

We are in citizenship with Christ.  Counted among his own.  So as we walk through life, let us not imagine ones' status based on a glance at another.  Let's have a conversation about Jesus Christ and how amazing it is to be counted as one of the saints in His family. 

I think I will change my standard reply from, "I'm a mom" to "I'm a saint because I serve Jesus and and strive to live His word".

So my dear Saints, what do you believe?

"among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."  Romans 1:6-7 (NkJ)