In the blanks below write the two most significant statements in today’s reading assignment. Be prepared to discuss why the statements you chose were significant to you.
“‘And most important, will it stir within them a thirst for God, a hunger for His Word, and a desire to represent Him well as salt in the earth?’ – I seek a lot more of the first two
“Christopher Columbus Award… though I would argue we don’t get to see our own ‘carefully mapped out’ journey tangibly either.”
…What are some ways that spiritual growth is very much like physical growth?
“They both cause us to seem different, but not unrecognizably so. Each can be aided by nourishment or stunted by lack of nourishment. It can be sad to outgrow certain things we love. We all grow at different rates – at our own pace.”
…You… saw four scenarios on page 2 in which someone seemed to change on the outside, but probably did not change on the inside. Write out some possible problems within the heart that might be going on inside each of those four people.
| The Outward Problem | Possible Problems Within the Heart |
| The spoiled teen’s sulking | selfishness, covetousness, ingratitude |
| The alcoholic’s wife’s discouragement | “bitterness, self-pity, pride” |
| The college student’s poor grades | “low self-esteem, lack of dependence on God” |
| The dockworker’s complaining | “pride, arrogance, envy (of position)” |
List below some major battles you are experiencing right now. Identifying these problems now will help you be more focused as you continue this study.
“Misuse of time – devoting too many hours to games and not enough to people, chores, exercise, and sleep.
“Misuse of resources – can’t show hospitality as living room and kitchen are piled high with things which should be put away, given away, recycled, or burned.”
Jot down some topics you wish to include in your conversation with God so that you are not speaking without thinking.
Praise “You are a great and mighty God and merciful provider and Father.”
Repent “I’m sorry I choose my own selfish ways so often.”
Yield “I will try to choose what You want over what I want.”
Dearest Rachel –
I won’t say that I’m running out of material from you to record here, but this one is quite the reach; the copyright of the book dates back a quarter century, so this has to be from at least twenty years or so. In any event, it’s from a time before you made a habit of writing everything down in your literal signature purple ink. Indeed, for all I know, you might not have even known at this time about the availability of purple pens; I think we discovered those on the internet at some point.
This digging into your old notes serve a twofold purpose these days, honey. One, since it’s Sunday, and a time to reflect on God and the lessons He teaches us, I can leave that in your hands (while at the same time taking a little bit of a Sabbath from writing while still keeping up the string; you can appreciate that, can’t you?). The other is that is can give an insight into your situation at the time you were working on this lesson; I’ve had my mind refreshed about things you (we) were dealing with that I’d long since forgotten (or in some cases, was only dimly aware of at the time).
Of course, as often as not, there are recurring things that come up, too. Even at this point in time, when we were probably only five years into our life at this house (as opposed to the condo, which we barely called home for four years), you were concerned about how we were unable to be as hospitable to others as stuff piled up. Having hosted the family Christmas party (as the first of our generation to do so) the year we moved in, we concluded we had made our point – that we could do it – and rested on that singular laurel. Over time, the clutter of things you couldn’t let go of without at least cleaning them off first grew to the point where only a few people could live with it, and even at this point, it was under your skin… albeit not so much that you could set down your games or shows or what have you.
Look, it’s not as if I got after you about it, either. If anything, I wanted you to do what made you happy – and to be honest, I think that even in those days, when things weren’t as tense as all that at work (though there were always moments), I was just as content myself with quiet evenings at home than having groups of people in on the regular. I wasn’t aware of the fact that it actually bothered you inside to not be able to do so. You’ll notice that, despite having cleaned out and remodeled the place, I still don’t have company over to speak of (unless you count Logan, and that’s not exactly the same dynamic).
I won’t suggest that you had any heart problems regarding this struggle, honey. Sometimes we need a push in the direction we need to go, and without it, well… the principle of inertia applies to the metaphysical world every bit as much as the physical one, I think. Besides, this wasn’t as much of a spiritual problem as some, however enduring as it might have been.
Of course, your journey is over; mine continues, and while I’ve made changes to my life – some out of necessity, others from actual desire and opportunity – there are still more to go for me, I expect. So keep an eye on me as I walk this road, and wish me luck, as I’m going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 