Lessons from Luke...

I am currently involved in a bible study with an AWESOME group of girls, we are following along with the Good Morning Girls current study...Living Like Jesus. It's an 8 week study on how to live more like Jesus, using the first 8 chapters of Luke. I am loving it, even through the busyness of all that I've encountered the past few weeks. 

I simply wanted to share a little tidbit that I read Tuesday morning, and it wasn't one of those things I read, then moved on about my day. This stirred something deep within me AND hasn't stopped. I have shared with my daughter, my boys, my husband...and I guess, anyone who will listen. 

We were reading Luke 5: 12-16 -- (New Century Version)

Jesus Heals a Sick (from Bible Gateway)

¹² When Jesus was in one of the towns, there was a man covered with a skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he bowed before him and begged him, “Lord, you can heal me if you will.”

¹³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I will. Be healed!” Immediately the disease disappeared. ¹⁴ Then Jesus said, “Don’t tell anyone about this, but go and show yourself to the priest^[b] and offer a gift for your healing, as Moses commanded.^[c] This will show the people what I have done.”

¹⁵ But the news about Jesus spread even more. Many people came to hear Jesus and to be healed of their sicknesses, ¹⁶ but Jesus often slipped away to be alone so he could pray.

It's a small portion of the story, but I'm firmly convinced, sometimes, those are where the larger lessons lie. Jesus healed the leper, and then many (I'm sure it was multitudes) came to hear him and be healed of their illnesses....and then it says, "but Jesus often slipped away to be alone so he could pray."

I am thankfully a sinner, saved by His amazing grace, covered under the Blood of Jesus. But sometimes, I think, if God parented me like I parent my own children, he would be so incredibly frustrated.

Yesterday, for example, I gave my son a math test. My sweet boy is BRILLIANT. He also possesses a HUGE amount of stubbornness determination and independence. He turns in his test, missed a few problems, and I knew he had breezed through this chapter. I asked if he had any scrap paper, because that's often easier to understand where his mistakes were. His comment was, "No. Mom, some problems are able to be worked out in my head. These were easy."

So, I give him his test back and ask him to do corrections. He did. And there were still several wrong. It upset him that I was telling him they were wrong, yet NOTHING I could do would change that. So, I sent him for a whiteboard to work it out, he reiterated to me the lack of need for scrap paper all the time. So, he begins to work it out, and comes to a point where I knew he was messing up...it wasn't his original answer it was in reducing the fraction. He took one look, and knew. So, no math tests will be accepted without an accompanying scrap sheet. He wasn't thrilled with that, to say the least. 

All that to say, I have shown my son countless times WHY it's important to use scrap paper.  It keeps neater papers, it helps you (or others) find your errors....etc. However, it took this one time, to show him, while he's smart, something's you don't notice until you write them down.

Much the same, the importance of spending time with our Heavenly Father, has been taught and modeled my whole life. My favorite memories include my grandparents, one on the couch, one in the chair reading their Bibles. And my sister and I, though we didn't comprehend it, reading pretending to read as well, but King James Version was just too much, I guess, when you're 6 and 8. But, I was taught. My grandmother explained to me over and over. My pastors, have all expressed the importance. I know how much more prepared (NOT perfect) I feel when I start and end (and keep Him on the line throughout the day) my days with my Heavenly Father. And yet.....I struggle. 

I do great with my Bible study times when life is going along at my pace, with my plans happening. The times when I struggle, are when I have a sick child, or when emergencies arise, or when I'm just plain tired...exhausted from the daily job that I do. But here, we see this man, Jesus, healing and speaking to so many daily. And then it says, "but Jesus often slipped away to be alone so he could pray."

To include that minor, and even simple detail, in such an important story, says to me it's of great importance. Jesus.....slipped away....from the busyness, from the teaching, from the healing, from the leading.....TO PRAY. It doesn't say, but I would guess, He needed to "recharge his batteries" and take some time to refresh Himself as we do.  I mean, He spent  ALL His time, serving others. 

As a homeschooling, stay at home wife and mom, I know that my days are spent meeting the needs of others. So many nights I feel exhausted and slip into bed, and begin to pray, only to find myself waking the next morning, realizing I fell asleep in the middle of my prayer. I am not sure how I will alter things in my life, or how I will slip away to be alone without the boys killing mauling playing like boys do, with the potential for harm around the corner with every new idea. But what I know, is my upbringing is coming back to me, my awareness has been raised, and I am in very frequent prayer for wisdom surrounding this.

The Bible Study is entitled Living Like Jesus, and His model is clear. In the midst of His busy 33 years, He OFTEN slipped away to be ALONE to pray. I encourage you to think of this, and see if you, are missing a bit of alone time, or time to just communicate with the Father. What is He saying to you? Are you drained, and in need of a recharge? Slip away, be alone, pray.

Be Blessed!