Sometimes it feels funny writing to no-one in particular. Tonight I’m really feeling it.  Who am I talking to?  What should I tell??? 

Well… it’s Friday evening and I’m ready to head for bed at 7:50 for two reasons – I got to sleep after midnight last night and I need to get up early tomorrow to prepare myself to preach.  So it’s important!  But, I decided I wanted to write for a bit first… just to unwind.

Life has been crazy recently. I came up with a surprising (?) conclusion recently – studying Theology is all about reading (much more of it than any sane person can manage!).  That “new” fact was really daunting me on Tuesday. But I conscientiously tried to get started. Then I ran into Herb (one of my theo buddies).  We both needed to study, but we talked for ages instead and it was one of those spine-tingling conversations that I knew was a gift from God.  We talked about how everything that ministry involves is God’s work and we just get to be a part of it and enjoy it. We wound up praying (standing in the middle of a walkway, no less!)  and as I prayed it suddenly hit me – here I was recognizing that ministry was all about God, while thinking that studying for ministry was all about me. So I asked God to take over and make my assignments exciting learning experiences.  And He did. No kidding!  Since then, I’ve been “researching” for my end-time essay and seriously, it doesn’t feel like research at all because I’m so fascinated by the topic now. It’s all I can think about!

And you know what? I feel like God is excited with me! He surprised me... Wanna know how? Well, it's like this... I grew up with so much talk about the end times that I didn’t want to hear any more.  So now  I have a lot of reading to do.  There was one book in particular that I really wanted – but the one library copy was out on loan for a month!  I emailed my lecturers to find out if any of them had it. No luck.  I happened to mention my frustration to the secretary of the EGW Research Centre and the next day the guy who had borrowed it happened to talk to her about it! So she connected us and he agreed to let me have it!  The whole thing gives me shivers. What were the chances of finding this guy, and of his not needing the book?  Sometimes I can almost imagine the playful smile on God’s face as he interacts with me.  How much fun did he have working up my desire for this book while it became more and more inaccessible and then just dropping it into my lap like that?! 

Father, you make me smile! We have so much fun together.  I hope that life will always be like this – you and me facing the world together.  I'm okay with whatever happens, just so long as you're with me.  Truly, your love is better than life!