Voices

Good morning, friends of this blog,

Quite a long silence has befallen this site, my apologies. A year of homeschooling almost under our belt, sports, new adventures (a musical!) and other such things have brought this blog to a forgotten corner. *sob* Now that summer is just around the river bend, I find myself with many ideas in my mind. Many burdens on my heart that I would like to share. So, grab your cup of coffee (in my case) or cup of tea, and join me.

Tonight begins a new Bible study at our church and I fell asleep thinking about what I would want to say to each one of them as we begin our study tonight. Allow me to explain. You see, I’ve done Pam Gillespie’s studies with my friend and teacher now four times. Every time we start with a very large number of women and by the end, the number has dwindled. Significantly. So, I was laying in bed praying for each one of them. Not knowing them all by name, but praying for them nonetheless.

You see, here’s what I wouldn’t want to say. I wouldn’t want it to be a guilt trip. Good heavens, we don’t need any more of those, do we? If you really loved the Lord… OR If you were a faithful follower… OR If you just got up at 5am… OR name your chain. No, I don’t want to play the name your chain game. No, not interested.

I have given much consideration to the reasons behind the numbers dwindling as the weeks continue.

1. Time constraints. We begin a Bible study HOPING we can do this. This time we can make the time. Yet, with all of the games, meetings, and craziness, where do we fit it in? Maybe we are asking the wrong question. Maybe we need to stop and ask, in all the craziness, how can we afford NOT to fit it in? We need Jesus even more in all this.

2. Difficulty. Pam Gillespie’s studies are challenging. And sometimes, we don’t know the answers. And sometimes, we don’t finish the week. And what if someone looks over at our book and sees that. (Just keeping it real, folks). If I could, (I wish, I wish, I wish I could sit with each one of our ladies coming tonight and say…) I have been here. I have walked into the Precepts class for the first time with Mr. Spencer. Sitting through my first class, no, scratch that, wading through my first class, no, scratch that, sinking through my first class…all I knew is, this is where I knew I had to be. I needed to be studying the Bible. I knew I needed to be studying His Words. And this was the place to do it.

3. Exhaustion by the end of the day. I get that. I have four kids. I get weary. I get just wanting to stay home at the end of a long, emotional day. I am amazed, though, how when, we as the body of Christ, assemble together and discuss what we have learned, the transformation that occurs in my heart and mind. So many times, I would drag myself, kicking and screaming, to Bible study, only to have wonderful discussion and fellowship and get home and have trouble falling asleep that night!

Well, the day begins. I am grateful to live where we can still freely study the Bible. Freely study together.

Together. What a wonderful word.

Pray on. Pray on.