Man, I Feel Like A Woman

The other day, I decided to start reading the Bible, cover to cover....chapter by chapter....starting at "In the Beginning" through to the last Amen!

Wow, that's a huge task..one I've never attempted....and in the last 3 days, I've been a reading/learning and I can't get enough!   This was supposed to be a 3 chapter a day deal.....but I can't stop!   Everything else seems to pale in comparison to these words saturating my soul :)  Our ladies small group has been going through the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan.   Last week he talked about reading through the Bible like you've never heard any of it...so that it is all fresh...not with the chains of "religion" or denomination....just God's Word speaking to His people.   Wow...I'm not even through Genesis and I already have learned so very much about the heart of God and how He is going to rock my world through this journey!

Genesis 32 is where I stopped today.   Boy, is God kicking me in the pants so far!!!!   Back track here a bit:  Jim and Shelly go to NM, fall in love with the town and all God is showing them there...Jim doesn't get job....Jim and Shelly are crushed.....Shelly has a huge heart to heart with God...begins pushing Jim into keeping going....pushing...pushing....pushing (come on, lets go, lets go, lets go!   God's plan hasn't changed!  Don't give up!   Here's a job, here's a house....I just want to get down there, yesterday was too late in my mind!)    Now, I'm just trying to be a good cheerleader, keep your eyes on the prize....  Yes, I know....I've been terrible.

Anywhoooooo, Genesis 32.....

Have you ever noticed how like Every wife in Genesis pushes her way....and everything gets totally messed up?!?   Of course, we all know how it started with Eve....tempted to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.   But the kicker is that she gets cursed to painful childbirth and to desire her husband...say what!?!?  Desire is a curse?  Well, not the lusty lovey desire.....but a desire to overcome, over throw....control (hello, I'm raising my hand....sending job listing emails to Jim and on and on!)   Then there's Sarah.  She couldn't just wait for God's promise of a child.   She pushed it along when she had Abraham lay with Hagar....talk about marital strain!   Then to be the mothers of two fighting nations!   Let's see, up next....Rebekah...oh dear Rebekah!   Helping to trick her husband into giving the blessing to Jacob instead of Esau....got her son basically run out of town.   Funny thing was that Esau had already given his birthright over to Jacob....all they had to do was wait.  (are you seeing a pattern?   Is it just me or does waiting stink, Big time!).   Does it stop there?   Nope....Jacob marries his sweetheart Rachel, but not before being tricked by their father and had to marry Leah.   Rachel couldn't conceive, but Leah did.....jealous!   So, Rachel pushed it and took a cue from momma Sarah and had Jacob lay with her maid servant.   Then Leah's womb shuts up so she has her maid servant lay with Jacob.....and THEN Leah also gets pregnant...and then Rachel twice!  (momma drama!)  Everybody fighting, whose child is best.....   I haven't gotten much farther into this part of Genesis, but we all know that little Joseph doesn't earn much respect and love from his bro's.

So, what does that whole big whoppin paragraph have to do with me?   I've been pushing.   I've been impatient.   God's timing is never late.   God's timing is never late!   Never Late....no matter how much I want it today, His planning is perfect.   I've backed off the push train.   I'm trying not to muck it up by pushing my way into this plan God has laid before us.

Praying....Reading...Stretching....Learning......

Edited to Add----I let go, I stopped pushing..and Jim all of the sudden, on his own picked up the ball and is running with it!!!   We thought that we were going to hit another road block with test date issues (he had to take his national test before the end of the month)....been praying about it for the last 2 days....God, I'm giving it to you.  In Your Perfect timing Lord!   Guess what?!? A few minutes ago, Jim finally got through to the office he's been trying for days to connect with....it's all good!!!  He can take the test, won't need the refresher class in the middle of now where Iowa....God is so good!!!