So I was kind of excited this week as I went to church. And when I say church, I mean a group of people I meet with on Wednesday nights. A small “ekklesia” seeking God together.
Anyway… back to the story. I was excited about the passage we were looking at, as it is one of my favorites! Many moons ago, when I was teaching preschool Sunday school, I taught this story to a bunch of, you guessed it preschoolers. The story is where Jesus feeds a group of people that had been following him. Jesus hung out with these people and healed those who needed it. All the while teaching them throughout the day, and that is when a problem arises.
It’s late and the people are hungry. This was a story I’d heard before, so I was familiar of course with what happened. This time though, a different detail jumped out at me. It spoke to me directly and has stayed with me for all these years. It has effected how I live, and why I write. (Sometimes though, I conveniently choose not to remember).
So when I knew we were doing this story, I was excited! It was an opportunity to share the impact of what God had already shown me. Since this is not an exhaustive study, it doesn’t take a lot of time during the week to be prepared. I just read through the verses to see what jumped out at me. Ponder them for a couple of days and come ready to listen. (And sometimes give my own POV) So in the spirit of due diligence, I read through the passage again and stopped. This time, other parts of the story caught my attention. Some of it built on the foundation of the first revelation (for lack of a better word) and then there was one detail that was totally new.
What were those things you ask? Well I may write about them in the future, but at this point I just wanted to sit in the fact that God still speaks. What an encouragement that is! He is speaking through the Bible and through the story of the lives of people today. And the real cool thing is, even when you think you you’ve heard it all, He is only just getting started!
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” – John 10:27
I want to remember that in my actions, I sow seeds. They can be seeds that lift a person up, encourage and give strength. Or they can be discouraging, defeating and used to tear down.
Friday was a hard day. I had been out of sorts for the last few days. Maybe it was hormones, a heavy heart, work, hate pouring through the tv screen or a combination of that and more. I was blue I guess, so yesterday morning I tried to do what would put me in a better frame of mind. I read my bible and sat in the backyard in the only cool part of the day. My yard is not any kind of oasis, but there is enough growth and color to bring me peace. So as I sat there, I chose not to open FaceBook. I typically do it, so it was kind of weird for me, but I went with and hoped that it would contribute to a more peaceful state of mind.
I asked God to help me resolve to identify those things that are a step backwards for me, and to help me go forward. To LIVE fully! Every day! To work hard, play hard and most important…. LOVE hard.
I was thinking the other day how grateful I was. We had just gotten back from a family wedding in San Diego, and it had been so much fun! It was just a moment when I was reflecting on the wedding, the love of family, the amazing time we had and how far we had come this year.
It’s so funny how God speaks to me. Or maybe what’s really funny is how I listen? I told my husband the other day that I had never dreamed about being a writer. Like, that is what I want to do when I grow up! Nope….never felt that way. Writing for me is more about submission and therapy? I write to submit my thoughts and feelings to God, and ask Him to help me sort through them. To move from knowledge to wisdom. Well…hopefully.
It’s Mother’s Day, and I am sitting here listening to Christmas music. I know it’s crazy, but in some way it brings me comfort. It reminds me that there’s hope for this world.
pain, but as Mike said the other day, “I don’t think I’ve laughed so much.” It’s pretty weird because we typically laugh a lot!
Right?
Cheryl Mendoza 