And then 15 years later…

I have been going through the stacks and stacks of journals, notebooks, bible studies and reams of copies I have made of things over the years.

If ink was water, I have drained the oceans…my my …. I do love words….

The absolute treasure of the week is a journal of notes for the Bible Study “Experiencing God” by Henry Blackaby.

Okay. I knew I did the study.

And I knew it impacted me.

There are quotes I still remember and from my notes I can see that a lot of my spiritual formation currently is a direct result of this study.

What I didn’t remember, and still am unable to draw up any kind of tangible memory even knowing this, is that I did the study as a leader for a small group of teens.

15 years ago this month.

I looked at the roster for my group and bawled.

One of those teens is the mom of three. I have been to Mexico and Africa with her. I have prayed for her children and I greet her and her family in the lobby of our church on Sunday mornings.

I cried because I have lost touch with several others…and one name???

I cannot recall at all.

I have no recollection of this young person…no face to go with the name…just check marks for attendance at over half of our 8 week study.

I cried because the woman I am today is the product of youth pastors and Sunday school teachers whose names and faces are lost to me as well.

Except for Art and Libby Logue and Steele and Lynn Harmon…because  with names like that…you remember. Because I was a teenager in THEIR small group….

They took a bunch of rag tag, smart mouth kids to Lay Witness Missions and hikes in the woods and cookouts and bible studies in their homes…they were patient with us when we didn’t give Sunday School answers and we challenged them with our budding worldview being honed by the culture of the early 70’s.

I cried because I am the product of seeds sown and watered…

and I have sowed and watered…

and now those coming behind me are doing it.

I cried because the legacy of faith…and the Body of Christ…is a beautiful thing.

And I cried because I couldn’t believe the kindness of God that when I had volunteered 15 years ago to lead a small group, my notes give testimony that I hadn’t a clue what I was doing…and I was nervous and unequipped…and God must have smiled because it looks like He had more for me to learn than I ever hoped to teach.

So I will leave you with one of my favorite lessons from this series…I know I needed to re-learn it in this season and maybe someone else out there needs to hear it!

Instead of questioning God from the middle of your circumstances….pray to see the circumstances from His perspective.

Pray with faith that He will reveal the truth of the circumstances….as you wait…on Him.