Ladies Bible Study Visit

First things first...I cannot believe I've been so lazy that I've not put up the ticker to count down to the end of daylight savings! ONE WEEK, people! ONE WEEK and time goes back where it should be. PRAISE THE LORD.

Okay. Now on to other things.

Last night I had the opportunity to visit Julie Crandall's Bible study. I mentioned a while back that her Bible study was using a study I've written but haven't yet officially published.

I don't know if I've told you the full story - so let me tell you now. Back on August 28th, which was a Saturday, I was journaling in the morning before I rushed headlong into the full day I had planned.

(Incidentally, this was shortly after my desert came to a God-appointed end.)

That morning, I began by writing Struggling with guilt again this morning - about spending so much time in "real life" as in comparison to holed up studying You. Now sure how to re-enter, You know?

As a matter of explanation, that was a HUGE issue for me. I'd spent weeks...months doing nothing but reading, journaling, pacing, driving, and praying. And when the desert ended, I knew God was calling me back to the activities of life...and I had no idea how to go about accomplishing them. All I knew was sitting at the feet of Jesus. I didn't know how to stop being Mary and start being Martha.

So that morning, as I struggled with that guilt, I read Streams in the Desert and it said, in part, "He must take us into His testing room of suffering. And many of us need no other argument than our own experiences to prove that suffering is indeed God's testing room of faith."

And I wrote, in response to that, I can see how You have done this in my life - for sure. But what now, Abba? What is my next step? Where are You taking me? What do You desire of me?

And not even kidding you - an hour later, my phone rang. It was Julie. She'd just come home from Bible study where the ladies were picking out their next book to study. She'd remembered this study I'd written, and she suggested it. And in what she said was a rare act of quick decision making, they asked to use it.

I love the way He answers.

So they've been studying. And tonight I had the privilege of driving up their way to meet them and sitting in on one of the studies. I loved hearing their insights. I loved hearing how they took the words God placed on my heart and applied them to their lives.

It was exciting to glance over and see notes and highlights in their books. They spoke up about the things they read that resonated with them.

And of course, I was convicted all over again by the same things that convicted me when I wrote the words way back in the day.

What a great confirmation of how He answers and how He uses even the most confused, scared, unsure people to accomplish a work for Him.