Joey and I have been pretty busy lately. There is so much to do at camp--mostly maintenance stuff. Joey's been working hard outside, getting an undeniable farmer's tan. I've been working hard inside, getting unbelievably sick of computers. It can easily start to feel like a simple "day in, day out" type of job if you loose perspective of the greater purpose. I nearly tremble in fear when I think of what God will do here this summer if the leadership are living in obedience to Him. Again, I am reminded that He is calling me to be obedient, and that is all. He will do the rest. It's not up to me to change the hearts of unbelievers!
In the midst of all the busyness, we've been able to find time to rest and recoup. Last weekend we went to Weyburn to visit my parents. We got there completely exhausted from the week, and one would think that our visit would have been a joke as a result. Not so! My parents are also full-time missionaries in their church and with my relatives, so they know well the demands of ministry. We vegged out with them and never felt a twinge of guilt. Oh, how I love my family! The pictures above are from our Weyburn trip.
God's grace is simply overwhelming. In all my years of studying the word of God, I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of this wonderful truth. In preparation for LDP 2009, I've been working my way through Romans, Galatians, and all the other Epistles. I've just finished both Romans and Galatians--such jam-packed books! The overwhelming truth in both of these is the enormity of God's grace! As Christians, we can so easily strive to live our lives so that we measure up to a specific standard, and then call it a day. This is such a heinous distortion of what Christ came to earth to defeat! Christ brought life to all--that means we are no longer held captive by the Law, which only reveals the sin in our lives and has no power to save us. Christ's righteousness has been credited to our account, and we've been considered justified. No more of this beaten-down, robotic adherence to all of the arbitrary laws tacked onto the Law! Because of His sacrifice, we are counted righteous and FREED from the Law of sin and death. It's such a hard thing for me to understand. I so easily slip back into mindless law-obeying behavior. I need to live every day, every moment by faith in my Savior rather than in false confidence in my own flawed self.
These are just some the thoughts that have been swimming around in my head lately. If anyone has anything else to add--their own struggles, lessons they've learned--please feel free to leave a comment. Remember, as Christians we are on this glorious journey together. Though, mind you, everyone's at a different place, learning a different lesson. I have faith that God is a good God who is painstakingly composing every story.
