Perspective

I have been trudging through How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth for a very, very long time now. I read it way back in my nocturnal days working as a CNA, but it was difficult to process just reading, which is what inspired the study guides. Now I've completed the careful combing of information and collecting the points that were more difficult to grasp in a study guide. Dun dun DONE!!!! With the reading it helps to punch the intent of each point and makes this seemingly difficult information more attainable. I know this because I've read it with, and I've read it without. And I didn't remember anything from it when I read it without. But now I have PERSPECTIVE. Yes... perspective. The overachiever in me wants to read it again and read each book of the Bible alongside each chapter of the coinciding book, which I will probably do eventually. But for now I am joining up with the ladies' Bible study at church and I need to focus some of my energy there.

I haven't been in a Bible study like this for a long time- not since the womens Bible study in the A-Frame. I loved that Bible study. I was shaped by that Bible study in so many ways. What's funny is that I don't remember what we studied, but the body of Christ was built in those hours of pouring our hearts out on the table and bearing each others' burdens and praying dilligently for each other. One of the ladies had a son that wouldn't eat anything but chicken nuggets and I used to tag all of my prayers- all of them- with "and please make Michael eat!" That still echoes in my head sometimes.

It's hard not to have high expectations when that is my point of reference. I've done Bible studies since, but there's really no comparrison, the situations were so different. There, there was a core of a lot of women that were committed to each other and to the church and to that Bible study. Everybody showed up; everybody spilled their guts. And when everybody's putting in 100%, there's no room for it to fail.

I don't expect to find myself in that situation again because my expectations have gotten me in trouble too many times to be that naive. But I think it will be a good experience and I will enjoy getting to know some people. I won't be teaching. I was asked to teach, but at that time I was still unsure of my committment because of other pressing schedule conficts, so I decided not to. I miss teaching, but I will enjoy listening more.

Perspective. It's an amazing catalyst.