Lesson(s) Learned

Have a few minutes to spare? If so, enter my classroom at-a-glance and appreciate this teachable moment with me: So there I was.... teaching the kids in my Bible class about Jesus' forgiving mercy. As I was listing off examples from the top of my head of people in the Bible who Jesus demonstrated his kindness, mercy, and forgiveness to, God quickly brought to mind the woman at the well.  Of course, He would bring the woman at the well to my mind in this moment.  But these are kids,  my thoughts said back to the Lord. How in the world are they going to understand that situation? Really, Lord, how am I supposed to set this one up?  My mind continued to reel. As the words began coming out of my mouth, I realized (faster than I could stop and think about it) that I was mid-story with no chance of turning back.  I think I explained her as somewhat of a "bad best friend" who "couldn't get along with any husband who lived in her house," so she "kept t...

What do you do with life's unwanted surprises? Every now and then, I get a song stuck in my heart/head and just have to bust out singing it at random intervals throughout my day. Mostly, I find myself being urged to sing when I’m in my car or just wandering throughout my apartment. (My roommate can vouch for that…. or, really, anyone who has ever sat next to me at a red light or a stop sign could vouch for it too. #I’mthatgirl ) The current song on the playlist of my mind? A song from children’s church. Not from a children’s church that I’m currently serving in, or anything. But from the recesses of my own recounting of childhood children’s church memories from the 1990s. The song is simple. It’s child-like. But it also packs a lot of theology. Without further delay, it goes something like this, “He’s able… He’s able… I know He’s able... I know my Lord is able to carry me through.” (and when I’m done with that part, I simply repeat it. Over and over again. Partial...