Monday was challenging. Suddenly I had a whole lot more on my plate than I had planned. There was some extra shopping to get done for an incomplete project the elders and preachers were trying to accomplish before Christmas. There was another unexpected need in the church that took a couple of morning hours. Digging Deep podcast preparation was chewing at my heels and my children were coming in the next day for the holidays. Once they arrived, we had planned to travel together to Memphis to see Glenn’s parents and the food for the family that would meet there needed yet to be prepared. Some of the gifts for Christmas were half-made…sort of too far in to give up, but not close enough to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Digging Deep class was also scheduled for Monday night. At 7 am on Monday morning, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed.
Then I went to the church building at 9 am to confer with a friend who needed to talk. And it was there that I received the encouragement that immunized me from holiday stress. There in the fellowship hall, gathered around a table, were three sisters—Bibles and Digging Deep books all open, They were not an official study group. No announcements had been made. No special schedule is followed. They are just three sisters who try to make it a point each month to get together and compare notes on the study.
It’s the holidays, people! These women have families. Together, they have seven children. Five of these seven are still below high school age. (Two are adults.) These women had spent much of the previous day in activities at the building; worshipping and serving. They spent the entire morning on Monday talking about God’s authority, searching the Scriptures together and sharing commentary and conclusions from the Word. Then they all showed up at 6:30 pm for the larger (and a bit more official) group study. One of them led that study and capably shared the fruits of hours and hours of study. Their children are with them, in most instances, at the various studies. Another of the ladies is also teaching the Wednesday ladies Bible class for this entire quarter. And this IS the holidays!
I came home Monday night and told my husband how very encouraged I was to see this kind of zeal about Bible study. When our minds are excited about study, they will also be deeply affected by it. We will be transformed by the renewal of mind that comes from study (Romans 12:2).
So thanks for changing my stressing to blessings. Thanks to these local sisters for giving me the perspective I needed on Monday. And thanks to ALL of you Diggers in every group and to you who are going it solo. To every one of you who’s COMMITTED this year, thanks for being a channel of His blessings!
