Mar 4, 2009

It's Tough Being a Woman...

I really need to tell you about my friend. She shows up every morning after Drew leaves on the bus and I have my very creamy coffee fixed. She urges me to open my bible, flipping pages from Old to New Testament and back again. She repeats herself and gives examples so that scripture verses come to mind a lot easier. Thanks to her I know a whole lot more about the tabernacle, Paul, Isaiah, and now Esther. Thank you, Beth.

I really am thankful for everything I am learning doing the study of Esther. I can't believe that ten chapters of the Bible has now taken me almost two months to get through. Some of my favorite quotes from the workbook are:

...Even those most serious about their pursuit of God and godliness fail to be perfect examples all the time. That's why God is busy conforming us into the likeness of Christ alone. None of the rest of us can bear the burden of constancy. The mystery is not that an earthly hero can still be flawed and fall to cultural pressures but that God, in His mercy, chooses at times to retain only the snapshots He took when they were standing firm. Then, when students like us flip through the photo album of biblical figures, we can take those moments, if not their entire lives, as beautiful examples.

...I'm not suggesting we shouldn't do our best. I'm simply saying that sometimes just surviving certain tasks without falling apart is our best and in those times God is not ashamed of our performance. He's proud of us for fighting overwhelming human emotions to do His will. God isn't interested in our stellar performance but in our hearts. He loves our willingness and obedience despite our insecurities.

...Glance over at your Bible. Think about what you've been through with God in those pages. Think of the hope, guidance, assurance, and affection you've sought. Think how thankful you are that God wrote something that you can hold to your chest, rocking back and forth, when your heart is shattered and your sight is too blurred to read. Every Bible is the Word of God, but with no ears to hear it, hearts to love it, or hands to warm themselves by the fire of it, man is tragically lost to it.

Okay, I could go on and on. I encourage you to go to Lifeway and stand in front of the Beth Moore workbooks, shut your eyes, and pick one of them. I am not doing the study as a group or anything. Just here at home. There is one page every week I have to skip because I'm not watching the DVD's, but I am still getting a lot out of the studies. Only one more quote from her:

Praise God, a voracious love for His word is gloriously contagious! Agree with me in prayer this moment that more and more women will catch this holy virus and never get over it.

In these final days of winter, I really do want you to catch a virus.
A holy virus. Go! Go! Go! to Lifeway.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

O boy, I thought for a minute you were talking about me... but then it hit me, its not me its Beth. I mean besides the fact that I don't show up every morning,urge her to open her bible,give her examples of scripture it really could have been me she was talking about. Well ok just the friend part. Now on a serious note,I agree Beth is an awesome example of God in the dark world we live in. I pray that we will be a little more like Him every single day.

Anonymous said...

Well done!!! Nate trying not to smile!! Are we supposed to be serious on here and leave serious comments?? Sorry I missed that train!!!

Your awesome sister in law!!!!!