She probably didn't know He had me in mind...

As I previously mentioned, I finally climbed out of my comfortable seed packet and stepped out of the ladies Bible study with the ladies I looooove so much to become a life group leader myself. Our first study, which we finished last night, well, technically we officially finish next week with a dinner (we're baptists afterall:) was Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl. Becoming has been quite the theme in my life lately. I was drawn by the title of the study, but let me tell ya, the study itself blew me away!

Author, Lysa Terkeurst, posted the following on her blog: If you've read my book, "Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl" tell me how it has impacted you... stepped on your toes... interrupted you... made you laugh... made you cry... made you want to throw the book across the room- whatever. I'm all ears.

I can't recommend this study enough. I've been so comfortable sitting in Bible studies, checking off my little list: prayed today, check. Read my Bible, check. Sat around waiting for blessing, double check. My heart (or was it Holy Spirit?) kept telling me there's more to it than this. The God you proclaim to worship wants more out of you, AND more for you. This study helped me finally hone in on some key things I was missing.

Some of my favorites along the way:

I shouldn't be asking "Why doesn't Jesus work for me? Or Why did God let this happen to me?" The real question is How can I see Jesus, even in this?

I can't say I considered on my own how David was annointed King and then went right back out to the fields to keep on shepherding. My every day is training for what He wants me to accomplish for Him. I guess I can quit looking for that magic class that will prepare me for my big, spiritual accomplishment (which is less likely to be a big accomplishment and more likely to be the sum of all my ordinary days).

Praise is the key that releases God's character back into even the ugliest of attitudes and darkest of situations. Take a second and let that one sink in. I've stood with arms high and heart abandoned...in church with the spiritual happiness going on. Have I done so in the midst of a mess? I can say now I'm working on it.

Those are just a couple examples, but I had more than just these blown-away moments. The grand finale was this:

See Lysa, wants us to Become More Than Good Bible Study Girls, and by-the-way, so does God. I had a feeling at the outset of this brand new Bible study, with my brand new role as leader that a few of the ladies weren't going to be long haulers. As it turns out, three of the 5 ladies who took a chance on me have become more. They won't be back for the next study...not because they didn't like me, or the group, or the time slot, but because God used this study to help them step up in faith. One is leading a high school girls small group. Another is working with youth. The third is taking a leadership role with her husband and they will be co-leading a couples group. What we experienced through this study was the final push they needed. So, there I stood thinking well, God, this was a fun little experiment, but I'll be heading back to my comfy old group now.

Well, there was Lysa again on the screen. I can't recall exactly what she said...something about seeds wanting to stay in comfortable seed packets instead of going through the growing pains that come with change, but I'm certain I heard the Holy Spirit saying better break out those big girl pants kiddo, we aren't anywhere near done yet. I guess we'll see what's next.