A Bag of Marbles

"A sweet lesson of this kind happened to her in the case of one of her children. She was making a bag for her to hold marbles, and she wanted a string in it, and she went to put the string in with a bodkin; but when the child saw the bodkin disappear, she said, 'Mother, I want the string,' but no string appeared; and she said, with an anxious sort of brow, 'Oh, mother, do put the string'; and she said, 'Darling, trust mother.' Presently the string came out, and she tied it, and gave it to her, and the little girl looked at it thoughtfully for a moment, and then said,  'Oh, that is just like Jesus. We give Him things to do, and He don't seem to be doing the right way, but we know that Jesus knows, and we wait and don't worry, and it come out all right,' Now, that is rest. they should trust Jesus, and although they may not understand at the time His way of working, yet they leave it with Him, and he brings it out all right, and they have rest." ~ Mrs. Pearsall Smith quoted in The Baptist June 11, 1813

I'm not sure I can top the simplicity of this story. However, it seems quite relevant to my wife and I. We did not receive a student placement in the Western North Carolin Conference this year. The conference is full. I have a promise to keep to my wife so I find myself and my family in the familiar situation of looking for a job with the added responsibility of a wife and son to provide for, while I still have another year of seminary to complete. It is helpful to be able to look back on that time of unemployment and remember all of the ways God looked after me; especially as I work to continue putting my trust in God. Isn't that the definition of holiness? Instead of a laundry list of do this, and don't do that shouldn't holiness be about daily practices which help us to better trust in God? During this season of Lent when people often give up something isn't the point to learn to trust in God more? Giving up something in Lent is like "Basic Training" in the military. We give up something while we have the option not to, so when we are caught between a rock and a hard place we have practiced trusting God. What is that old phrase; first we try then we trust? Lent is about learning to trust God when life is easy so when we face trials of various kinds we have a firm foundation of trust in God and the reassurance God will see us through.

Every Ordinary Thing Can Be Sacramental

"Earth's Cramed with Heaven
And every common bush a fire with God:
But only he who sees takes off his shoes,
The rest sit around and pick black berries."
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Tweak in Direction

My wife pointed out the reason she never reads my blog is because it is always something Biblical or religious or both. I am forced to concede she has a point. Then again I am in seminary. I do have projects and deadlines, and John Wesley sermons all running through my head so I guess some of that is to be expected. I could go on a Monday morning rant about all of the things I am struggling with in seminary. Sadly, I'd probably have more people reading this blog if I did. Suddenly there would be the drama of misery. This blog would follow the newspaper's example of "if it bleeds it leads." Okay. I took that quote from a movie, but it applies. Just look at the evening news. So what would it take to make this blog a bit more interesting? I think I need to do a better job of addressing my everyday life in seminary, as a husband, father, child of God. Wow just listing those out I think I got them out of order in terms of the priorities I hold to. I'll give it a try and see how things go.

The Line

In the life of a person of faith there is a line between what a person wills to do, and what the All Mighty empowers them to do. There is a clear distinction between the will of distruction, and the empowering force which enables us to truly live life. For those who follow the commands to Love God, love neighbor as ourselves; holiness becomes trusting God, and discovering there is power and peace, when the will of man becomes trust in God.