Stalking Sovereignty

    I have blogged previously about my addiction to the method of Bible passage analysis called homiletics. I could be president of the Homiletics Fan Club, if I could find any other fans. Since last year's BSF study was John and next year is Romans, starting my summer doing homiletics on a chapter a day of Acts was a no-brainer. But there was still a lot of summer left. I wanted to study something to do with God's sovereignty, but a word study wouldn't work. Sovereignty isn't even in my Strong's KJV concordance, and much of God's sovereign control of events appears in chapters and books where God isn't even mentioned--like Esther. I have an excellent study book on sovereignty written by Jerry Bridges, but it hasn't been long since I finished that and, even I, cannot forget that quickly. Without my precious homiletics, I was adrift.
     So I decided to begin at the beginning, Genesis, where God's activity is far from behind the scenes. I still read a chapter a day, and if I'm not paying attention, I lapse into homiletics without noticing it. My method, like myself, is simple. I stalk sovereignty throughout the passage, write down the instances, add thoughts about the passage I find interesting--like Lot's irresistible rescue from Sodom. Clearly, God does not take no for an answer. Then I look for an application. Most of mine start with:  How does knowing God is sovereign over __________ help me with __________ I am experiencing today? Then I spend a few minutes praying and meditating on that truth. Not profound. And, sadly, not homiletics, but it is good to know I am capable of a topical study and the applications have been extremely helpful lately. My needs matching God's truth seem to be a recurring side effect of Bible study. Oh wait, that's called sovereignty.
    

Small Talk

     I love visiting with other Christians but the truth is, most of the time, we make the same small talk with them that we could with a virtual stranger at the grocery store--kids, health, weather, what we are doing.  In smaller settings, we may share more intimately--struggles, prayer needs, what we are feeling. But there are very few places a Christian can share openly what Christ is doing in their life. At church we are all "fine". At prayer meeting we share only about health needs, safe travel, maybe a decision about a job or buying a house. No one shares their besetting sins, financial struggles, prodigals.
     So it is very nice to be able to let my spiritual hair down at BSF, in small group, with my prayer partner, and with my mother-in-law. I can take off the mask most of us wear in public and share a truth the Spirit has illuminated through my Bible study or whispered in my heart. With those few I am comfortable sharing my struggles with being a submissive wife, critical thoughts about others, trying to control my portion of the universe.  Christians need times and places for "Show and Tell". To show what we are really like, to tell the truth when we are not fine. I am glad to have those people and places in my life, and one of them is this blog. Humor pops in and out as a welcome visitor, humility is still a far off goal, but honesty is I can do here and now. There are plenty of other places for small talk.

I Would Like to Think

     Recently I had two major events going on at the same time. One was wonderful. One was hard. Both the occasions and the timing of them were part of God's sovereign plan. While I was in Missoula celebrating my Dad's 90th birthday, my husband was at home dealing with our son's relapse. Though his binge was well funded and serious, I was not feeling stressed, though it seemed I should be.

    I would like to think it was because:

•  through decades of experiencing God's faithfulness, I have learned to trust Him.
•  I increasingly rest in the safety of God's sovereignty.
•  I trusted God's timing in having me in Missoula and Reed at home.
•  I see even the setbacks as part of a larger plan.
•  I knew my husband could grow through handling it without me.
•  God provided the distraction of the birthday celebration and intended for me to enjoy it. 
•  The Bible repeatedly demonstrates that God uses sin just as easily as obedience to accomplish His purpose.
•  our recent study of "Trusting God, Even When Life Hurts", strengthened my faith.
•  I am growing up spiritually.                                

     I was not too upset about the obnoxious drunk who kept getting into our house because he is a stranger to me. I don't even know him. I certainly did not want him at our family party, either drunk or hung over. But when my sober son asked his dad when they were leaving for Missoula, that broke my heart, because that was my son talking, and I really wanted my son to be there. Blackout had stolen an entire day from his life. And God used that to break his heart and help him on the path to sobriety.  We are all responsible for our own actions, but we are fools to think we are revising God's plans because of them. With guidance from his addiction counselor, we are following a plan for relapse. I am not stressed, but I find myself reluctant to share that with other Christians. Almost as if I need to apologize for not carrying my share of the stress load.  I would like to think a Christian at peace is the norm, not the exception.