Coming off of Easter, a pretty substantial lull in blogging (10 posts TOTAL in 2013, seriously?!), and a conversation with a fellow writer yesterday about the discipline necessary for writing, it's time to kick of a month-long series again. Rather than try something new, I'm going to go back to last year's April series topic: Interrupted by Gace. There are two reasons for this:- In the month following Easter, it will be beneficial to meditate on and look for God in our daily lives. He is risen. He is risen, indeed! According to Scripture that means not only something for our past and our future, but also for our present.
- This kind of writing doesn't require major preparation or study, just keeping my eyes, ears, and heart open.
Okay, so what's this Interrupted by Grace series all about?
Here's how I summed it up last year: The general idea is this: the Holy Spirit dwells within us and can speak into our hearts throughout our days, but often we are far too busy or distracted to remember this reality, let alone listen for His voice. Shortly after Katherine was born, I noticed that sometimes I'd have surprising moments of peace or joy where I felt prompted to just stop for a moment to reflect on the delightful fullness of life, the depth of Christ's forgiveness of my sin, or some other blessed thought. I called this being interrupted by grace - Spirit-breaths of fresh air in the staleness of life lived on autopilot.
I believe these grace interruptions can take many forms, so I don't want to stifle the Spirit's creativity for reaching you. But here are some ways the Lord might interrupt you with grace, in the midst of complete chaos/fear/pain, a fantastically perfect day, or somewhere in between:
- something a friend, family member, or co-worker says or does that leads you to reflect on God's love
- an edifying song that comes to mind "out of no where" that leads to repentance or simply encourages you
- feeling like you just need to stop for a moment and give thanks
- a call or letter at just the right time
- scripture coming to mind when you need it
Why should you read along?
The primary reason you should read along this month is to meet God. My hope is that by testifying to God's on-going work in my life, you'll increasingly see His grace at work in yours. Because God is alive and His Word is living and active, I wonder what this month will hold for us? I hope to hear some of your stories in the comments!
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:16-17
Let's let the message of Christ dwell among us richly this month!
Heather
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