It's still really hot here and I have cabin fever. I had what I thought was food poisoning but it must have been an intestinal bug because it lasted from Monday until yesterday. All is ship-shape now but I have been cooped up and I prefer being outside. Weather man said we were going to get some cooler weather Monday but has now revised and we will still be over 100.
I have not posted about the current undertaking by me (Tracy). After Mom died, I realized a big hole in my life needed to be filled up with God and a deep loving bible study. Here where I live in Southern Oklahoma (Texoma), there aren't any deep loving ladies bible studies nearby. There is a BSF class in Sherman (far away) but I knew with the inclimate weather that my attendance would falter if I had treacherous drives in the winter.
Our little baby newspaper called "The Capital Democrat" comes out once a week and that day of the week is a red letter day. We all rush to the Eagles Nest to get our copy.......not a pulitzer prize winning paper but treats us with our own little special news and noteworthy bits. It is actually neat to read the paper and KNOW a person that is mentioned on every page. I had been praying about whether or not to host a bible study in my home for youth or ladies and one week I opened the paper and there was an article in the paper about a ladies bible study in Ardmore (an hour away). It said that the Teaching Leader had been trained at BSF and Community Bible Study, has been patterned after those two wonderful studies and that the bible study would be studying Romans in the fall and gave a telephone number. I saved the paper for a week or two and then called the number. My now-friend Marsha McGuire answered and I asked if there was still time to sign up or was there a waiting list? (I was accustomed to waiting lists at BSF). I told her about myself and how badly I needed their bible study and she inquired about where I had learned about them. I told her where and to this day, no one knows how that article about their bible study appeared in my paper.
Anyhow, I started, went to the first week and was called that afternoon by Kaye Gosdin also my now-friend, and teaching leader and she asked me to be a ladies leader. I did and loved it but in leaders meeting we were praying for a childrens ministry or program each week. I felt each week a tug at my heart for the absent children's program but I ignored those tugs.
One morning, I was sitting at the edge of my bed and I heard loudly in my head "TEACH THE CHILDREN". After prayer that morning I told Marsha and Kaye about what I had heard and they looked at me like I was an alien. :) Long story short, I wasn't an alien, they couldn't believe their ears. I am clearly hanging on to God's hand tightly asking Him to show me the very next thing because I am over my head creating, writing lessons for Genesis, choosing and training leaders and administrating a children's program that is starting next Tuesday with 33 pre-registered children from birth to 7.
My greatest sorrow in my life is that I never had a baby. Will has Daulton but Daulton is 17 and doesn't need a mother as he has one. I have begged God for 23 years for a baby and the answer has always been a resounding NO. I really have struggled with this especially when I witness women who are terrible mothers spitting kids out that they don't want. God still said NO. At the beginning of TMBS Bible Study, Kaye asked us to read Galatians along with our study of Romans. While reading in my NIV, the following verse jumped out at me:
Galatians 4:27
27 For it is written:
“Be glad, barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband.”[e]
I finally have my answer, I am not to ever be in labor but I am to have more children being desolate than those women with husbands and the way that God is going to do that is call me to begin a children's ministry. The night before I was to present the concept to the ladies at bible study, I decided to see what "The Message" bible in Galatians and read:
22-23But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. (Galatians 4:22-23)
Galatians 4:27 was a quote from Isaiah 54 and so I decided to go see what "The Message" said about Isaiah 54 and I found:
Isaiah 54
Spread Out! Think Big!
1-6 "Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby.Fill the air with song, you who've never experienced childbirth!
You're ending up with far more children
than all those childbearing women." God says so!
"Clear lots of ground for your tents!
Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big!
Use plenty of rope,
drive the tent pegs deep.
You're going to need lots of elbow room
for your growing family.
You're going to take over whole nations;
you're going to resettle abandoned cities.
Don't be afraid—you're not going to be embarrassed.
Don't hold back—you're not going to come up short.
You'll forget all about the humiliations of your youth,
and the indignities of being a widow will fade from memory.
For your Maker is your bridegroom,
his name, God-of-the-Angel-Armies!
Your Redeemer is The Holy of Israel,
known as God of the whole earth.
You were like an abandoned wife, devastated with grief,
and God welcomed you back,
Like a woman married young
and then left," says your God.
I am now welcomed back by God, like a woman married young who will forget the humiliations of my youth and I will walk forward in faith and dependence on God to build a children's bible study that will stand long after I am gone.
I was really discouraged and anxious about starting this program this coming Tuesday because I am being told "the kids can't do this", "they won't hold the hymnals", "the verses are too hard to learn", "the women won't do that" but writing this, I am no longer discouraged because God says "don't be afraid--you are not going to be embarrassed" and "don't hold back--you're not going to come up short". If you are reading this, know that tears of thankfulness and joy are in my eyes and you could say a little prayer that TMBS for Children will be for God and will always give glory to God's call.
Have a really good night my reader. Thank you for reading my long-winded blogs.
I rally pray that God will bless the work of your hands and you have always been gifted with children. I know everything will work out.
ReplyDeleteHey thanks for putting me in your sidebar.