Spring Cleaning

Today I am optimistic. Grateful. Eager. I am experiencing a spring-cleaning of the heart. I have always loved the book of James (I have a friend who just began a blog titled with a quote from it and of course Third Day has a great song from it) but I don't think I ever realized how much it would affect me to study it in depth. I know many people get hung up in chapter two where it seems that your salvation might rest on your works but that is not at all his point. It's funny how many strings can come together to make a united thought. I like to follow little strings here there and everywhere. Apparently I need a whole lot of strings that slowly connect and grow into each other to really make an impact on my thinking. It's like sweet peas (a favorite spring planting from my childhood). So many little tendrils that seem so delicate on their own but once they are wrapped around another stem watch out! next to impossible to separate and you can't even tell which flowers belong to which plant they are so mixed up. The bible is like that too. I am reading in my daily bible and finding things that apply to my new testament study and my new testament study is applying to things that I am learning in my life experience and all of it continues to intertwine and grow into a sturdy framework of faith. This is an act of mercy because as I mentioned above, I have a hard time focusing on just one string at a time. The other day I got out of the shower and put a leave in conditioner in my hand to rub in my hair, while I was doing this I had a brief thought about my complexion and boom the next thing I know I'm rubbing the conditioner on my face not in my hair! NOT GOOD AT FOCUSING. There have been a couple of things this past week that have created this spring cleaning effect in my heart. One: I have been pondering the practice of Lent. I personally do not see much good in giving up earthly things as a religious practice but I do see some value in making a spiritual sacrifice or a "heart" sacrifice. As I mentioned a few posts ago I have been practicing "putting my mind on things above" and I teased you all that I would reveal later how I was doing that. I am doing that by memorizing James chapter 1 and I have two verses to go! I say this not to be prideful but because I am full of joy that some of my time is actually spent mediating on God's Word and the funny thing is it hasn't felt like a sacrifice to carve out that time. I find my HEART'S longing for the word helps my MIND to accomplish my will of memorization and that feels good. Two: James is all Jew. He provides an amazing perspective that at times seems opposite Paul's exclusive freedom in Christ message but is in fact complimentary. In not having a current church home I have been forced to rely on God (um hello, isn't that exactly what we are supposed to do?) for motivation in searching out and receiving teaching. I was so blessed to find ECF when we first moved here but what I didn't realize was that is allowed me to continue on as I had been. Growing in my faith certainly, but not really any upside down - turn your life around teaching on sundays. I many ways I was comfortable and had been since my teens. The really challenging stuff has always been experienced through women's studies. (how's THAT for commendation of the effectiveness of a good women's ministry!) The statement from my study of James by Beth Moore that blew my socks off was this. . . "Our human tendency is to figure out quickly what we believe then, from that point forward, stick to materials that affirm our early-determined belief system. We end up barely making it into our spiritual adolescence before binding our own systematic theology books in our head". WOW. WOW. did I mention WOW? Was this me? Had I formed my theology in my spiritual adolescence? Contrary to scaring me, the realization that this was true for me was like a breath of fresh air. I felt at once FREE to re-examine things I was struggling with knowing that Christ would never let me fall from His grace. I realized that it is OKAY to take a look at current and varied views of longstanding doctrine. Whew. I had opened a window and asked the fresh air of the Holy Spirit to come in and revitalize me and guide me.
Okay so, that was a lot for me to write. I am sure there is more that I could share but right now I am detangling a few more sweet pea blossoms.