But godliness with contentment is great gain. - 1 Timothy 6:6
I have to be honest and say that the last weeks of July and beginning of August has been a great challenge with survive or thrive; feeling much like the former from day to day but longing for the latter.
Hopped back on the M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan (BRP) a few weeks back and found myself in the book of Jeremiah, where God was declaring his promises to his people: "I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place..." I also found myself paging back to the beginning of the book one Saturday morning to try to contextualize everything, but ended up reading until I found this in chapter 17: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives." (vv 5-6) Felt really convicted because it was an accurate reflection of how I have felt lately, especially with trying to juggle everything. Immediately after that, I read: "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (vv 7-8)
It's been easy to feel overwhelmed and much busier for some reason this year, especially when I look at my own capacity to do things. I trust myself and my ability to do things so much, rather than trusting completely in the Sovereign Lord that Jeremiah talks about a few chapters later, who "made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." (32:17)
Last week, I also read, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me." (Psalm 13:5-6) I still have to remind myself that I'm not here to work (even though I LOVE teaching kindergarteners and feel like I fall in love with them more each day) and that I can trust in God's unfailing love. Lately, I've been really, really thankful when I look back on the past year - especially in those moments when it was so necessary to trust Him.
In an attempt to get away from the parched places of the desert and securely thriving, I'll "sing" [write] about my contentment with God's goodness and my "great gain" (see 1 Timothy 6:6 above) in my usual random and spontaneous way (before running off to lunch and being on duty while the children go home for the day...):
:: doing Operation Campus Reach (OCR) with our fellow life group members, and also with two girls I met a year ago at our OCR booth. Amazing that they ever joined us for life group, and stuck with us to partner in reaching out to college students.
::96 in attendance at Sunday Celebration yesterday, with 32 newcomers - after starting out last year with a team of 8 and a family of 5
:: getting soaked by the rain of a non-rainy-season Sunday afternoon while walking with hospitality team members I didn't know a year ago under the shelter of an umbrella to gather up directional signs after Sunday Celebration.
:: learning what it means to be child-like from my kindies, who walk like they are bouncing or running even when we say "WALK" and make me feel like a million bucks when they notice that I'm not wearing my glasses and say things like "Miss, why are you beautiful today?" when I wear dangly earrings
:: anticipating Sports Day tomorrow at SPH with our life group members and new students
:: anticipating my roommate Sarah's birthday coming up this Friday
:: anticipating upcoming ministry team meetings with members who love the church and who love Jesus and long to see people's lives transformed into Christ's disciples who will then transform the world...
We have sang a song at kindy chapel every week since school started which goes:
He is so good to you, He is so good to me
Jesus, He's so good to you and me
I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me...
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