Ready, Ladies?

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

I'm down to the final lesson in Jesus, the One and Only—a study of the Gospel of Luke by Beth Moore. I reread the story of the crucifixion and resurrection as I worked on my lesson this morning. Although familiar, this time, I caught some of the drama stirring among the women who followed Jesus. During His ministry, it is recorded that the women looked after his needs. We know the names of some of them; Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James—but there were others who remain nameless. (I would like to think I would have been there with them.) Women enjoy taking care of the needs of those they love and these women played an important part in the end of the story. Picture the morning after the Sabbath rest. They had waited all day Saturday, as required, but used the time to prepare the spices for the body. Can't you hear them chatting among themselves as they scurried down the dusty path just before dawn, wondering how to handle the heavy stone that covered the entrance into the tomb? What a surprise to find it open when they approached the tomb and saw it open! The story the angel told them rocked their world. Excited by their discovery, they suddenly remembered Jesus had told them this was going to happen. Just like women, they hurried back to tell the story to the all of the men. God knew how to get the word out! In the Jewish culture, the men had all the privileges; women were relegated to the basement, so to speak. As Beth describes it, Jesus elevated women by adding a ladder to that basement and bringing them up to join in the work and ministry of the church. His resurrection brought life to all who believe – Jew or Gentile, man or woman, slave or free. We each have a role to play in the Kingdom and hierarchy ended when the veil was torn in two. That day changed the world. We will never be the same. Thanks, ladies, for telling the story.

Anguish

I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,
     and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
     out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
     and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
     a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
     They will put their trust in the LORD.
Psalm 40:1-3 (NLT)

Next week I'm leading a seminar entitled Anguish of the Soul at our Women's Retreat. Each attendee received a list with a brief synopsis of the various offerings and chose two. Mine read:

David found himself caught in the darkness of the pit in Psalm 40 with no way out. In his anguish, he cried out to the Lord for help even as despair threatened to overwhelm him. God heard those pleas, pulled him out, and set his feet on firm ground. For some of us, that pit may come in the form of depression; slimy and dark that blots out all light, takes away joy, and leaves an unrelenting hopelessness in its wake. In the midst of the deep pain, loved ones are often confused and frightened as the murky shadows threaten to obscure any normalcy. I know because I've been there. Join me as we journey together from the dark moments of the soul into the light of God's hope and help.

Eight women signed up and I know two. I've spent the week filtering through my notes and compiling my outline and handouts. My heart's desire is to encourage these women and offer hope and knowledge as they walk either in the shadows or are in the pit themselves. It is a lonely place to be, often kept secret due to fear or shame. When I was walking that scary road, I didn't know what was even going on; a name for it would have helped. My goal is to shine the light of God's love and compassion to dispel those fears and help these ladies open up their hearts to His healing. God promises us solid ground and a new song after our time in the pit. My prayer is to get a new singing group going.

Cowgirls All

A good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children's children. Proverbs 13:22 (Amplified Bible)

Oh, the excitement of a ten year old. Kate, as my oldest granddaughter, knew the meaning of undivided attention as a little one, but in recent years she assumed the position as "cruise director" for her two sisters and planned all their activities. However, on this trip, life revolved around her and she ate it up. Literally. Whatever she wanted to eat, or do, or see was hers for the asking. We watched more horses in both the parade and the rodeo, ate funnel cake and local barbecue, watched movies from Blockbuster, spent a day doing girl stuff (museum, shopping, lunch), and learned to bake apple dumplings. By the time she was tucked in bed, I was already headed to mine. One of the great pleasures of grandparenting is the ability to lavish love on my girlies without any responsibility for their behavior; that job is up to Mom and Dad. But my heart's desire it to leave an inheritance that is far greater than a sum of money. I want my girls to know my Jesus and with courage and strength from above, to walk in a way that shows them how important it is to follow and obey God. I pray that each grandgirlie will hear me speak kindly, be generous, offer help, show mercy, be a friend, forgive easily, keep short accounts of any wrongs, and know that they can trust God to lead them throughout life's journey. As I watched the plane take off returning its precious cargo, my Kate, to her home, I already missed her. Her love of life filled our house for a few days and brought such joy. She is welcome any time.