Pop Quiz

I am so grateful for the gift of written words. That I can record God's activity in my heart and life, means so much to me. I have a memory problem and journaling is the perfect solution. If I had not been writing down God's activity in my life, I would have overlooked the following subtle but strikingly significant event. God was testing me even in the midst of a lesson not yet learned. And He was taking time to teach me more about priorities as I continued to wrestle with the lesson on obedience.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

I feel confident about these priorities and this plan. Lord, continue to guide me regarding my priorities and lead me to make changes as needed and place things where they belong. I desire to do nothing without You.

Interesting. Yesterday, as I was making this list of priorities, I received a phone call that challenged me immediately. I was so focused on what I was doing, it caught me completely off guard. I was communing with God and seeking His will earnestly. My mind was slow at catching up to what the phone call was about. It was an opportunity to do some graphic design for my church's music ministry. I almost said yes, but I know myself well enough to know I should never answer a question like that on the spot. I asked for 24 hours before answering. Almost immediately after the call I knew the answer should be ‘no.’ Simply considering the logistics of how I would make it happen was enough to make me laugh. Still, I gave it some time and even discussed it with Luis. Sometimes I am completely surprised by his thoughts, so I should always consult him on matters of this import. I thought maybe financially he saw a need that I could possibly fill. Well, it was good that I asked, but he completely agreed with me. It is almost a preposterous idea at this point in time. I am always amazed at how my brain works, or doesn’t work, in certain situations. I was immediately thrilled at the prospect – almost as if I had completely forgotten the last 2 years of my life! Wow. Yet it is understandable how I could be touched by something I held such a passion for – perhaps the passion is still within me waiting for its next opportunity. Well, this clearly isn’t it. One look at my list of priorities can tell us that. The challenge of this whole scenario makes perfect sense. God is speaking to me and the world is challenging me. Good things vs. the best things.

Phil.1:9-10 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;

With knowledge and discernment granted by God, I choose the excellent. And I choose to do it in a manner worthy of Christ. For behold the manner in which He chose the excellent for me.

Gratitude.

Perhaps this little event seems insignificant. It does seem to be a bit of an aside from the larger story at hand. But isn't that just the way God works?  In the midst of one lesson, He somehow teaches us another. We seek answers for one question, and sometimes He speaks to us the answers for a completely different question. Were we asking the wrong question?  Perhaps. Not always. But isn't it exactly in keeping with God's character to give us abundantly more than we even think to ask for? (Eph. 3:20) That is why I am so grateful for this lesson on priorities in the midst of my lesson on obedience. (And I passed the pop quiz!!!) You can probably already see or imagine the countless other lessons He has been teaching me along the way.
 
Next time... a lesson about the significance of the written word and His Word.
 
The Eternal Student,
Alexis