"And They Remembered His Words."

Such a short verse that often gets lost in the Easter story. As we read through the Easter story in Luke, I think that often we skim verses because we know the story so well. We know who went to the tomb first, who saw Jesus first, what their reactions were, and the responses of all the disciples. We know this. But as I read the Easter story in church a few weeks back a verse stood out to me that I know I've just overlooked in the past. I mean, I knew the verse, it wasn't a new verse in any means. But this time I actually stopped and read the verse.

"And they Remembered His Words."

- Luke 24:8

How often to I forget His words?

How often do I make it through an entire day and not think of His words?

I can't give you a count, but I can tell you that It is way more often then it should be. I can't even begin to count the number of times in church alone that I find myself thinking of the last time I sang a certain hymn and sad memories behind it, or find myself more focused on the birds outside of the window of the choir loft instead of His words being spoken in front of me. Now if we get into the middle of the week... 

One of the conscious efforts I've been making to change my thinking patterns these last weeks is really making the effort to wake up 30 minutes before I do morning call and spend just a few minutes in His word, just a few minutes talking to Him. I know this is one of those things we're supposed to do as Christians every day... And, I know excuses aren't really an option, but it took me weeks to adjust, and if I could explain what just one day of my job looks like to you, we'd all be tired. 30 minutes of sleep is a lot to give up on a daily basis, but I finally reached that point where my craving of time with Him and the desire of intimacy with Him was high enough that it outweighed the loss of sleep. 

I think that part of it is this: Recently I've gained a new understanding of grapevines. We all know the images of grapevines in the Bible and probably have a basic understanding of how those images parallel our lives as Christians.

I remember a documentary on PBS that I must have watched with my family when I was much younger on vineyards. They were talking about why this particular vineyard had so much gravel in the soil. The host asked why they would want so much gravel in the soil as he assumed it would interfere with the roots of the grapevines. The Vintner responded that they intentionally added gravel to the soil. Obviously the host was surprised, because if you know anything about gardening, this is the opposite of what you would normally desire. The Vintner went on to say that for their grapes to reach the desired quality, they needed to force the roots to grow deeper because the minerals available deep int he soil was the key ingredient for their grapes. It made their grapes have a better flavor quality when it came to wine making.

This is what I feel like. I feel like a grape vine that has been producing just fine, but now my Vintner wants a higher quality produce. He is pushing my roots deeper to give me the ability to Thrive, not just produce. He's asking me to give Him better, because He knows I can give better. He knows what I'm capable of. He put me in a job that takes everything from me during the day, yet leaves me feeling more satisfied at the end of the day then I thought ever possible. I am being pushed in ways I didn't know I could grow. I am being called out and humbled daily through my job, reminded of my own failures my own weak spots. Yet I'm given the opportunity to grow in those areas everyday.

I push people to be better versions of themselves, while they push me to become a better version of me. I am constantly thanked for being patient, a Virtue that I never would have claimed to have obtained. I am constantly told that I am a safe place to girls who are lost and scared of the world outside of the school and the worries of returning to a life they want to leave behind. Everyday I am reminded why I'm there, everyday I look back and see where He asked me to push deeper that day and I see where He used me to show His unconditional love to His daughters who He loves dearly.

I want  my heart to be:

Completely lost in Worship,

Completely abandoned in awe of the Cross,

Completely in love with who He is,

Always remembering His words.

Learning to Thrive

Soli Deo Gloria

- Sara Jean