Sunday, March 15, 2009

If We Are the Body

It's amazing what a spiritual cry will do for the soul. (By spiritual cry I mean physically crying while engaging in prayer or Christian fellowship.) Church was beautiful today. I had some unexpected reactions and I felt like the Lord was speaking to me and working on me, and that is good. I am so blessed with a church family that is willing to reach out and a pastor who is willing to say hard things. Today's sermon was about compassion and helping others. In Sunday school we discussed the prodigal son, and with these two subjects, I realized again how it's easy to help with physical needs, but being truly involved with people is where things can get messy. We are all sinners and we all fail, and I need to be willing to accept that in myself and in others. (Though of course I do not want to fail, and I do not want others to fail, but we will; that's just the way this world is.) I was reminded of one of my favorite stories by Flannery O'Connor entitled "Redemption." I highly recommend it. Mrs. Turpin is a great character.

Also, I really don't like not knowing, and not knowing is a very prevalent thing in my life right now. Not knowing if I'm accepted to U of I. Not knowing about financial aid. Not knowing where I'll be next year. Not knowing what branch of library science I want to do. Etc. But I realize that all of this doesn't matter, because God has taken care of me thus far, and I know that He will continue to be faithful. He knows what's going to happen. He knows what He has planned for my life, and right now, that is enough.

2 comments:

Rachel said...

Thanks for this reminder. It's been a blessing! Even though I know I'm at IU next year, I'm also feeling a lot of doubt and uncertainty. The last few weeks I've had trouble sleeping because I wake with nightmares that border on the ridiculous (being replaced by and then having to work for a trained monkey, for example. Not making this up, unfortunately).
God will provide, in His way, in His time.

Anonymous said...

ahh, so good to remember that again and again. I'm freaking out a bit about stuff I have no control over, that I want figured out NOW. but I don't know what I'm doing this summer, because I don't know what classes will be offered, and when I'll take them, and what I'll do if I don't take classes, etc, etc, etc.

good luck with the grad school hunt! it really will all work out; I can never get over just how many blessings God put before me that brought me to where I am now :)