Thanks #10

For a few years, my kids were too young to attend Sabbath school (much like Sunday school) without me. So I went along and enjoyed watching them sing about being grey squirrels and swooshing their bushy tails. Then the day came when I was free to go to a grown-up class. This may not sound like nirvana to you, but I was home with kids all week and being in a room with twenty other adults was bliss. 

But I found this group very special. They read all parts of the Bible, including the tough stuff that is hard to reconcile. They're honest about the highs and lows of their spiritual walks. Several of them have spent years studying the Bible in depth. They're able to disagree with each other. And different personalities, different vocations, different upbringings all see different things in the stories, filling out the picture for the rest of us. There's a mutual appreciation for what people bring to the table. I feel alive when I'm there. My contemplation rises to new levels I don't achieve on my own. And because these people figuratively take my hand and lead me to Jesus, I'm grateful.

What I mean about my personal study's limitations is this. I don't see patterns. I don't see themes. I don't get historical correlations. I miss characters that we've read about other places. I read in a straight, simple way and those pieces are wonderful, but they are like dots that within the group, I get to connect. And then I step back and see.