An Unexpected Jolt

My friend, Leah, recently came to me with a Bible Study that she felt might be good for the ladies of our church. Ruth: Loss, Love and Legacy by Kellly Minter. It is part of a Bible Study series called the Living Room Series and seems to be just up our alley. It is very laid back-What you put in is what you get out. We will meet once every two weeks for a total of four meetings. We met last week over dinner to just get pumped up about it and get to know each other and catch up. There were about 7 women but about 12 are going to be in the study. Very exciting. I love girl time!

I remember when Leah first showed it to me one day while we were pool side enjoying some catch up time on a hot sunny day. It sounded like a great idea. Why not? Ladies love fellowship; I love fellowship; We need fellowship. For that alone, I was in, even offering up my house to our cutesy little Bible Study meetings complete with online short videos and recipes and all kinds of fun stuff.

I remember sitting at the table last week as Leah asked us, "Why do you want to be a part of this Bible Study? Why are you here?" I did not answer. I sat listening to other women be candid and personal about their current walk with Christ and I sat silent. Why was I here? Why not! Was pretty much the only answer I had. I remember sitting at the table trying in all of my great wisdom and knowledge to conjure something up but I couldn't. I didn't know why I was there other than I love those girls and love girl time. But how shallow of an answer, in my mind, when we are dealing with a BIBLE study! I mean, I don't need to meet around a Bible Study to have girl time- I could have called any one of them up and said, "Hey lets meet for coffee, or Hey! Wanna come over and hang out", and that would be fellowship, too. So why was I at the Bible Study. I guess I could have said, "Cause everybodys doin' it". : )

I left still pondering but had no answer. The next day I received my book and opened it asap to check it out. It has been a long time since I participated in a ladies Bible Study and I was interested to see what this one would hold. Immeditely in the Session 1, she began talking about her bad back and about her rehabilitation after enduring so much pain with it. My eyes perked up; very interesting. She went on to further talk about strengthening her core and how that made all the difference. Whoa! Tell me about it. As one who has a very weak core and is now having to deal with pain and rehabilitation, I was totally connecting with this woman. I was so excited- A cutesy Bible Study for me that was going to give me someone with whom I could identify. Great!

Then it happened. Like it always does. God gave me a jolt and I am still feeling the effects of it days later. 1 Timothy 4:8 "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." Oh no! Not that teaching again! I knew it weeks ago but it is amazing how quickly I am walking away from my own image and forgetting what I look like these days. Maybe its my age or maybe I am just utterly sinful. My bet is the latter. God cares more about my spiritual core than about my physical one (although, He cares about both trememdously). But I have been living on the inside and, at times, on the outside, in a state of complaint. I have a long list of people who are probably very sick of hearing about my ailments. This back and neck and hip thing has really gotten me down over the past weeks and I am here to confess that it is for sinful reasons--because I can't run, amongst other things. But I am not crippled. I can still function. I even rode the sea doo once while I was home. Do not tell my chiropractor! I should be taking this time to sit still-God knows, I don't know how to do that! He has not given up on me and for that alone I should be celebrating! He cares about my core-enough to send me this cutesy, I mean jolting Bible Study! And He knows me well enough to know that I would need the jolt right from the beginning. I wish I could tell you that Day 2 was just comfy for me, after God's profound Word, but it wasn't. Another jolt! And I will share it another day.

The big question, I realized, wasn't, "Why are you here at this Bible Study?" It's, "Why are you here on this earth?" "What is everything in your life about?" It is about CHRIST! My Bible Studies. My laundry. My grocery shopping. My homeschool. My friendships. My dog (I'm not sure how but i am sure the dog fits into it too : ). My kiddos. My husband. My poolside days. My runs. My walks. My sits. My vacations. My church. My house not selling. My motivation. My EVERYTHING! There is a quote in Session 1 that just screamed at me and so I must share it. "Do not let familarity with something make us think we don't have to give it our all. Seeking God with our whole hearts through the age-old-avenues of Scripture, prayer, and fellowship will always prove valuable, no matter how many times we've heard it." Thank God, my neck and back don't keep me from that! (Actually, it did keep me from holding and reading anything back in weeks 1-3 of this thing but not anymore. That was horrible!)

I am very familiar with alot of things-everything I listed above. And I have dropped my guard with those things as well as so many more. In case you haven't noticed we have to FIGHT for everything. Because it is a FIGHT for the glory of GOD to be made known in all things! WHAT A JOLT!

"When we were at the BCM at Auburn we had to memorize a specific verse of scripture and I can remember saying it with such attitude to try and get it memorized. "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 That must be my only motivation to run or whatever I put my hand to. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in me, from God. I have been bought with a price and therefore I must glorify God in my body. All for CHRIST!

Wow! Am I excited about Bible Study! As long as God will allow, I will be posting more thoughts about what I am learning in Bible Study. My hope in that is not that you say, "Way to go, Brooke, bless her little heart! But that you will look at your own life and live to His glory. I pray that you would be challenged as I have been and that as we continue to grow in Christ, we will seek to bring Him glory in every aspect of our lives. : )