Hot Tea and Avalon

I can't help but think about my bible study lesson this week at Morning Grace. I am loving this class more than you will ever know. I wish I could do the teacher justice in my mere writings on cyberspace, but it's highly doubtful. A local church puts on a weekly bible study for women around the area (500+ to be exact, sort of). There are probably 30 to 40 in the class I attend. I picked the class because I didn't have to purchase an additional book to go along with the lesson. Just had to bring my bible. Yes! Little did I know what this class was gonna do for me! One of my bestest friends, Eliz, and I sit on the front row every week to see if Ms. Jean's words will fall from her lips and splat on our brains to be permanently etched there for memories to come. You see Ms. Jean is 91+ and she loves the Lord so very much. She is the best dressed debutant I know. Brown winged tip loafers with her long tunic coat, flirting shamelessly with the sound man fitting her with her mic. Her teachings are filled with profound poetic words that take you in flight with her on her life with wings. That's her class "The Life On Wings". But don't get me wrong, it's not a theological lecture from a very uptight lady. She tells people "thank you, but now you can shut up." They love her anyway. She says she's gotten old enough to have that childlike innocence to say what she wants. She says "shut up" a lot.....and I laugh every time.

This week was particularly touching to me. It cemented the path that we're taking with our own women's group this week on our beach retreat. She, Ms. Jean, just reinforced the ideas and plans our leadership team had been praying over for our own teaching moments. Ms. Jean talked about recognizing our own Godly solitude moments in our busy lives. As I sit at my desk and sip on the best cup of hot tea from Haverty's, Hot Cinnamon Spice, (procured by the most handsome almost 20 year old ever) and have Avalon sing "Adonai" in my inner ear, in other words not only do I hear them, but I experience the song, I feel like I am recognizing one of those solitude moments. The moments where you can actually voice to the Holy Spirit that you recognize God's presence in the room, your life, your heart, your.......you. Where breathing a deep cleansing breath brings a humble tear to your eye and you feel it warm your face as it slowly marks a path down your cheek and drops onto your shirt close to where your heart beats hard hoping that the feeling won't leave. Oh how I long for these moments to be one right after the other. How I wish I didn't let my world around me get between my heavenly Father and myself. Where my agressive personality and agitated tongue get in the way of me experiencing solitude. I remember these moments later, thank goodness. Where I am in the middle of my funkiness and I can recall the way my mind felt weightless against the daily to do list on my desk (who am I kidding, I don't make lists cuz I don't remember where they are when I do.)

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come", Kari Jobe sings lightly in the background. The smell of cinnamon heavy in the room and my head filled with heavy, weighty thoughts of nothing, nothing but how big God is and how small I am. How he uses each and every one of our small lives to bring glory to His kingdom. To multiply in number the hearts that will come to know Him and love Him. "With all creation I sing, praise to the King of Kings, you are my everything, and I will adore you......."

Sing it Kari. My heart is full. My veins pulse with the energy of Christ in my life, sometimes so fast that it takes my breath away. I close my eyes and worship with Him in my solitude. Thank you for this moment. I can't wait for the next time we visit.