This morning I can't help but smile thinking about last night. What a blast! Last year our Bunko group decided to change it up a little, you know keeping it fresh, keeping it real. We decided when we cannot get 12 of us together to play Bunko, we would have alternate plans. Really, we're such a fun group it is a shame to let the lack of numbers encumber our love and laughter. So last night we did the new thing. There were only 5 of us who could make it, but my friends, we had a very wonderful time together. Our hostess made a fabulous pot roast dinner with all the trimmings and we laughed and played Phase 10, way past our usual deadline of ending the evening at 9:00. My sides hurt this morning from laughing so hard. Yet in the midst of laughter we weren't remiss in acknowledging the hard, difficult and emotionally exhausting seasons we find ourselves in. Youngsters, approaching weddings, ageing parents, seriously ill loved ones and the sometimes monotonous and mundane daily grind. In between the snorts of laughter, there were real life conversations and freely given encouragement to one another. Love how that happens when the family of Christ, sisters in the struggle and friends gather together...there is love.
We experience so much static and noise in life. There are distractions good and bad. We are over scheduled, time wasters who are running a little late for everything. We live lives of good intentions and sometimes a lack of follow through. All is not hopeless, isn't that encouraging news! I am reminded of this very familiar passage of scripture... but I'll share it from The Message Bible, Matthew 11:28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Now this comes from one who struggles with having a daily quiet time. Very rarely do I have my quiet times at the same time of the day. I hate to blame my sanguine personality for it, so I will just blame my ADD. Most days I do get to take a relaxing break from everything and just read, meditate and ponder God's Word. I've been using a devotional book I found last fall at the Family Christian Bookstore. I'll be honest, I don't really like to shop there...no, it is not the shopping I don't like, it is the fact it takes forever to check out and purchase things. So I have to be really strengthened by the Holy Spirit to stand peacefully in line, I cannot do it on my own strength. This devotional, The Message Solo New Testament, was so worth the long wait in line. (Family Christian, along with Hobby Lobby need to program their registers with the sale merchandise for that week which would result in less catalog look up and calling for a price check at register 3) I digress. The book is designed not to teach us how to study the Bible but rather to develop a converstation between us and God. It is based on the classical lecto divina. It is more Bible basking than Bible study and teaches us how to absorb and meditate in scripture, to converse with God openly and live out what has become a part of us, His Word. (loosely paraphrased from the introduction of the book) I love the happening of reading a verse or verses and each day something new comes alive, a different word or thought. Oh so thankful that the Word is alive and takes us on a new adventure each day, if we let it and let God do His life changing work in us.
From the Matthew 11 passage is coming alive in seeing that this is how Jesus ministered and lived His life. Not in a rush, intentional but also knowing God's timing. He invites us to come to Him. He shares with us how to recover our lives and experience real rest. He asks us to walk and work with Him, He shows us how to live and how to do life and then keeps us in His company while we live out life by His personal attention and example He's been to us.
Last night there, amidst the food, laughter, and the conversations His presence was with us. Showing us how to live and encourage and love one another. We weren't cognizant of it but we were basking in the Word.
1 comment:
Monday was such fun. I left encouraged, loved, and with rock-hard abs.
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