Ahhh, Summertime...

Tuesday night we kicked off our summer Bible study series, Soul Food (Tuesday evenings through August 4th, starts at 6pm and includes dinner for $5). We had a dozen small discussion groups in the sanctuary and I gave each group a different chunk of Isaiah to study together. Honestly, I was a bit nervous about whether it would "work" -- whether conversation / discussion would flow. It could have been laborious (getting to know a group of people while chewing through a chapter of Isaiah is a big stretch...), but instead it felt so easy and fun!

That's the flavor everywhere in our church right now. Easy. Fun. Relaxed. The jazz classic "Summertime, and the livings easy..." has been running through my brain. While many of us are facing difficult situations, somehow God's grace is covering us... even if it's a bit bumpy.

Virtually all my favorite memories from childhood are when things went awry as we were on some adventure... which in the moment was stressful, but in the end became the highlight! Like when we went off-roading in the wilderness and got stuck and it took us a couple of days of piling rocks to build a ramp to get us unstuck. Or when we didn't pack enough food and actually HAD to catch fish to survive. Or when my brother forgot to pack a sleeping bag and was forced to share.

So if things get stressful, let's not get overwhelmed! Let's decide instead to enjoy being together and working together... then it will end up being easy, fun, and joy-filled. What made those moments as a kid memorable and fun was the camaraderie that developed as we tackled the challenge. If we had blamed one another for the problems or tried to solve the them by ourselves, it would of been a nightmare.

So let's take full advantage of the grace that God has on our church right now. It's not a time to sit back or be alone. Like being at the top of a water slide, this is a moment to lean in and enjoy the ride!

If you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:10-11

Total Sweetness

The other day I got a thank you note from one of the moms who sent her daughter to VBS. She included this photo of her daughter who had fallen asleep while reading her Bible (she promises that the pic wasn't posed... *smile*). Our theme this year was, "It's in There!" -- all the answers we need for life are in the Bible. I'm actually quite inspired by this little girl's totally sweet example... and jealous (in a good way) of the peace she feels.

I don't know about you, but my thoughts and feelings are so persuasive. When fear grips me, the verdict of doom is irresistible. I can spiral into a grumpy, depressed place for hours or days. When I think I'm right and others are to blame, my own logic can't teach me grace or patience.

But thankfully God has given a resource that's more powerful than my thoughts or feelings. When I choose to rely on them, His promises and instructions can secure me and guide me no matter how chaotic my thoughts, feelings, or situation. When I'm trusting and obeying His instructions, I get in on His peace, which defies all logic (Phil. 4:7).

I am praying daily that I would have more courage to reject my own thoughts and feelings and choose instead to rely on His promises and instructions. One of the lies that's been beating me up lately is that I'm not good enough, smart enough, holy enough... or *whatever* enough to do what God is asking me to do. I get no peace by trying to tell myself that I really am doing well. That just adds fuel to the fire...

The other day I came across Ezekiel 36:22-38, and I've been hanging onto it since then. In that section, God promises to do some incredible, miraculous stuff... But the part that really has my attention is where God repeats, "It is not for your sake that I am about to act..." (v. 22, 32). In other words, all the awesome stuff God is doing is NOT a reward for my good behavior. That's not a shameful condemnation... it's a hopeful promise! If the good stuff God is doing hasn't been earned, then it also can't be lost. I don't have to be good enough, smart enough, or holy enough... I just have to keep my eyes on Him!