God's Alarm Clock

This morning I was nudged awake with the thought that I really needed to read Psalm 71. I took this to be the Lord since me being wide awake at 5am must be a divine intervention. ;0)) The crisp morning was quiet as I huddled in my sleeping bag. I remembered I had a few dollars left on a starbucks card someone gave me, so I hopped in the car in my sweats (another out of the ordinary action) and drove down the street to grab a coffee. I came back home, read some more and did some chemistry homework.

Last week I was really struggling and wondering if moving really had been a hair brained idea. However, God has continued to remind me of His faithfulness and how He's brought me to this place for healing. On Sunday our pastor was talking about Luke 1 and the difference in circumstances between the 2 families. He meantioned that this town might be like Nazareth in that someone could ask, "does anything good come from..."

The sermon hit me hard as he talked about how we often seek prestige or how our pride is revealed in that we are ashamed at our circumstances. (Neither John or Jesus' family was wrong, but God was just chosing to come to the lowliest place...he was going on to talk about if we're concerned about our pride or what God is doing...whatever situation) Just minutes before I had talked to a doctor and got the usual "ooooo" when we somehow came around to the fact I had been a midwife. (Plus the usual look away and mention that they used an OB) And then their is the whole job situation in which I often feel ashamed to admit where I work.

I can't put it into words well, but it was hitting me at a raw place and for the first time in my life I wept through a sermon. In a good Baptist church they'd be prepared with klenex on the pews in anticipation of a wonderful altercall, but I guess those in the reformed bent don't use such things. =0)) So, by time it was over and time for communion I was one puffy mess. My instinct was to walk out...but um...isn't that pride that I don't want my fellow church people to see that I cried? It was a good sermon in that it had many assurances of forgiveness and hope.

Maybe something good CAN come from this town in the dusty plains...I sure have been blessed!