My normal Sunday morning routine goes something like this:
- “Snooze” about 15 times.
- Finally talk myself into getting up.
- Make myself presentable and go to my home church.
- Turn on the music/lights/etc. in the youth room.
- Talk with the incoming teenagers.
- Head to the 8th grade girls class to teach Sunday school, along with two other wonderful women. (At which point I would also normally nab a warm, fresh brownie that one of our most faithful, wonderful youth workers, Mrs. Lynette, makes every week. She has been making a batch of fresh brownies every Sunday morning since I was in 8th grade. Talk about a ministry! But I digress…)
The past two Sunday mornings were a little different.
- Snooze about 15 times.
- Finally talk myself into getting up.
- Make myself presentable and go to my home church.
- Thank another one of our awesome youth workers, Terry, for turning on the music/lights/etc. in the youth room.
- Grab a Krispy Kreme. (Okay, okay, yes, they are very unhealthy, but, come on! Krispy Kreme! Who in their right mind can say no to a fresh, warm, Krispy Kreme?!)
- Talk with the incoming teenagers.
- Head to the 8th grade girls class to teach Sunday school, along with two other wonderful women, only to remember that this week, the 8th grade girls class is merged with the 7th grade girls class. This week’s lesson was taught by a woman of God–a woman that I am blessed to know–named Mrs. Kris.
Oh, me, oh, my, I was completely blessed by that lesson.
Lately I have heard some incredibly thought-provoking, God-glorifying messages from some of the most renown preachers, teachers, and evangelists in the world. However, I have found that there is certainly something to be said for going back and re-learning the simple things that we were taught years ago. Taking a step back from the complexity and merely reevaluating what love should look like in our own lives holds unspeakable wisdom. What do I mean? So glad you asked.
Mrs. Kris had us all do an exercise. Fill your name in the blanks.
___(Insert your name here)__is patient.
_____________________is kind.
___________________does not envy, does not boast, is not proud.
_________________does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
_________________always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
________________does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered.
___________________keeps no record of wrong doing. (I Corinthians 13:4-7)
Mine looked like this:
Chelsea is patient. Chelsea is kind. Chelsea does not envy, does not boast, is not proud. Chelsea does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Chelsea always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Chelsea does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered. Chelsea keeps no record of wrong doing.
Time to evaluate.
When you fill your name in the blank and read the passage to yourself, are there any statements that don’t quite ring true about yourself? My answer is yes. There are certainly statements written about me that don’t quite ring true. What should one do in response to this somewhat startling, and completely humbling evaluation of oneself? Well, I’ll tell you what I did. I talked to God about it.
He is faithful to take our messy, unloving lives and transform us. It’s what He does: He shows us grace and love for His glory.
The Enunciation of Truth 