Have you noticed how amazingly difficult it can be to get out of the house on time on Sunday morning?  Why is it so much harder to get up on Sunday?  For some odd reason this morning, a regular school day and my bible study morning, was similarly difficult to get up, out and on the road on time…almost like a Sunday.  My frustrations seem to build with each passing moment as I hurdled over roadblocks coming seemingly from nowhere.  Finally reaching my destination, miraculously on time, it was a relief to come to a safe haven where I knew I could totally and completely be myself.

I have been so incredibly blessed by being asked to lead a bible study this semester.  At first I thought by adding one more thing to my schedule, again ironically on “Simplicity” I must be nuts, but I have the most amazing group of women to share with every Tuesday.  It’s almost like “me” time but better….and I’m not by myself…does that make any sense?   I didn’t always have this type of comrodery and support as a wife and mother and it is something that is truly important.

As a new mom my whole-hearted devotion was to Emalynn first and Nathan second…together they were my life.  Now that isn’t in itself wrong except that at that time God wasn’t first, and my husband wasn’t second…I had everything upside down.  God was doing awesome and amazing things for me, but my balance wasn’t where it needed to be.  I also didn’t make “girl time” a priority.  While I missed it and got out once every few months it wasn’t enough.  I also wasn’t involved in a small group at the time at church so I wasn’t really fully engaged in the church.  We went as a family every Sunday but we simply came in, sat down, and walked out speaking usually only to the nursery workers when we picked up and dropped off Emalynn.  I am quite sure that is not how Jesus wanted His church to operate.  If everyone did that there wouldn’t be a church to go to.

After getting involved with a small group, serving in different ministries, and getting-to-know more people in a fairly large church [that my husband dragged me to kicking and screaming for over 5 years before I actually started to “like” it] the place seems to get smaller and smaller every week.  And now that I am in a leadership role I am really realizing what a blessing comes from being involved.  The women I have the privilege to spend my Tuesday mornings with take time out of their very busy schedules to dive into the word of God and the bonds that come from that time are nothing short of a blessing.  That blessing comes from taking the initiative to go above and beyond just Sunday morning church.  With that blessing comes accountability, support, friendships and opportunities to serve others and the joy that comes from that is immeasurable.

I wish I would’ve realized the importance of this when I was a new mother.   There is no reason I could not have gotten involved sooner when Emalynn was a baby and even before that!  But…my secret held me back.  Think of what I could  have accomplished for the Lord all of those years I was hiding!  While my days of being a pew-sitter are over…it makes me wonder…what is holding others back from the true blessings of the church?

I want to earnestly thank all of “my girls” for faithfully showing up every Tuesday morning after rushing to beat the clock, hurdling the roadblocks that seem to come from nowhere and dealing with all the crazy stuff it takes just to get there!  It is no easy feat with kids, schedules, responsibilities not to mention preparing a lesson beforehand.  I love the time we spend together and the open, transparent hearts you all have.  I love that I can come, just as I am, and just be me.  I love that we lift each other up in prayer and I love what God is doing in and amongst all of us.  It has been a gift for me to lead you and see all of the different perspectives God has given us in our different walks of life.  I love you girls and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 

1 Corinthians 12:12-14