Wise and Gracious Purposes

I'm currently reading the book My Heart in His Hands about the life of Ann Judson, wife of Adoniram Judson, the first missionaries sent out from America. I am completely amazed by the faith of this woman who was willing to leave all behind in order to follow Christ.

In the midst of the daily trials and tribulations of 19th century living in the foreign country of Burma and with little to no contact with other Americans, never mind English speakers, she faced the added burdens of health issues and the death of two children. In the midst of a seven month period, during which she did not know if her husband was dead or alive she wrote the following:

"I am trying to bear this state of uncertainty as a heavy affliction, a painful chastisement from my Heavenly Father, inflicted, no doubt for wise and gracious purposes. Perhaps it is only a prelude to greater afflictions. Perhaps this is the school in which I am to be taught the rudiments of suffering, and to prepare for those heavy trials, which without these first few lessons, crush as soon as afflicted. I feel however, a dreadful conflict ; sometimes inclined to complain of these dark dispensations of Providence, at others endeavoring to make this language my own: 'Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him."

What a sweet reminder that in the midst of pain and hurt, God's "wise and gracious purposes" are at work!

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

Josh and I just got back from one of our favorite places- Yosemite National Park. We stay up in Tuolumne meadows, a little off the beaten path, and love the majesty and splendor of this place. While there we hiked to Gaylor Lakes and were blown away by the beauty of these glacial lakes. While we were hiking we talked about how so many people simply drive through Yosemite, sticking to a few popular trails, and miss out on the true grandeur that Yosemite has to offer. They only see the smallest glimpse of its beauty As I thought about this it struck me that as believers, that is how this world is for us. As beautiful as Yosemite is, it is but the smallest glimmer of what the beauty of heaven will be like. My human mind cannot imagine a place more beautiful than Yosemite, but I know it is just a glimpse of the beauty of God's glory and creation that will surround us in heaven!

My Favorite Attribute

My favorite attribute of God has, for a long time now, been His Sovereignty. This attribute gives me such hope and peace. However, as I have grown in my faith I've seen more and more how God's sovereignty is intimately connected to every one of His other attributes. We can find peace and hope in God's sovereignty because of His goodness, faithfulness, and justice. I recently came across this great quote from Charles Spurgeon that describes God's role in our circumstances far more eloquently than I can:

“Unerring wisdom ordained your lot, and selected for you the safest and best condition. Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there. You are placed by God in the most suitable circumstances. Be content with such things as you have, since the Lord has ordered all things for your good.”

So much of how I live from day to day is impacted by how I live out, or in many cases fail to live out, my belief in God's Sovereignty. It is not merely on a whim that He does things, but rather he ordains them by His "unerring wisdom." As believers, our hope is in this sovereignly wise God who out of perfect wisdom and goodness not only ordained his Son to die for us, but ordains every step and circumstance of our lives. That is a hope that endures and that a dying world can not comprehend.

Summer

When you are a teacher summer never ceases to lose its beauty. The prospect of catching up on some much needed sleep, spending time with my husband, and relaxing at the beach is something I look forward to each year. I sometimes forget that people with "real" jobs don't get the summers off! That said, while I definitely am looking forward to some much needed relaxation, I have a list of things I want to accomplish this summer. At the top of that list I have some ambitious reading and writing goals for this summer, and unlike previous summers I am determined that I will actually follow through this time! I’ll keep you posted on my progress over the following weeks. Happy Sumer (and happy reading)!

Gone With the Wind

About a month ago I picked up Gone With the Wind at a little, hole in the wall book store in Cambria. When I started it I told my husband that I was reading it, not out of any sense of it being a book that as an English teacher I should read, but rather out of a sense of obligation as a girl who likes to read. And after reading it I still feel any girl who enjoys reading, must read this book. It has quickly become one of my favorite books, and as much as you despise Scarlet at times, you can't help but admire her "gumption," which in the end becomes her only redemption. As you read the book it becomes apparent that it is much more than just the story of Scarlet's perseverance and ultimately her redemption, but the the perseverance and redemption of the Confederacy itself. Despite the slightly racist bias that runs through the portrayal of slavery, you can't help but feel compassion for the side of the torn nation that always gets the bad rap. Even this decidedly "yankee" reader was able to see why they say "the Confederacy never dies."

Temporary Things

“While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

I waste so much of my time looking at temporary things- how clean my house is, the pile of grading sitting next to me, the shoe my dog just ate, not to mention the salmon I just realized should have been taken out of the oven 5 minutes ago. And yet what significance do any of these things have? Sure, all of us, believer and unbeliever alike, want to spend our time on what truly matters, to not sweat the small stuff. But as a believer my goal should be to move beyond that. My call is to look not at the temporary but at the eternal. So when the dog eats my shoe and my dinner doesn’t live up to my expectations what is eternal? Well, if I back myself up to verse 16 & 17 I realize that what God is working through all those things is a renewal of the inward person. This “light affliction” (and oh, how light it truly is!) is working for me a “far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”! God is working on my inward person, sanctifying me and changing me into His likeness. Oh, how small my faith and how long the road of sanctification ahead when all it takes is a destroyed bit of leather to try my patience and teach me to depend upon the Lord. But praise be to God who having begun His work in me will not finish until it is completed! 

The Two Images of Fall

I know it’s autumn. Unfortunately, in Southern California the tell tale signs of the season are not the glorious reds and oranges of my child hood. Well, the colors may actually be the same, but the glowing flames of a brush fire jumping the freeway and the majestic, throbbing reds of a maple tree are no comparison. So while breathing in the ash and smoke of yet another fire and reassuring my mom over the phone that “We’re fine,” I can’t help but be homesick for a real fall. One that goes beyond fires and Santa Ana winds, or even pumpkin spice lattes. I want the smell of dirt and slowly dying leaves. I want a hillside aflame with fire that doesn’t involve smoke and ashes. I want that feeling of wonder as you travel down a lonely road and are engulfed by autumn leaves.