Phew.

God really pulled me in today. He wanted my attention. I pulled out my iPod for some music while I was about to read in my vegan lifestyle diet book thing, and the first song that played was one of my favorite worship songs from when I actually was into God... Fall Afresh by Bethel Music. I just sat there, basking in the moment...and God was like, "Hey. Come hang out with Me. I miss you. Grab your study Bible and we can talk over that Starbucks drink you have there." So, I did. I paused my music, (because shuffle mode is bipolar and the next few songs were really distracting) and opened up my bible. I picked up where I left off: 1 Corinthians 2. I had already read over the chapter last time I was in the Word, but I didn't go through the study notes and really chew on it for a while. This time, I did.

First off, I really wanna point out how different meeting with God and reading His Word is when you take the time to meet up in worship first. It buffers your heart. It opens you up and gets you ready for something wonderful. It makes you more sensitive to the Holy Spirit, which, you'll see in a moment, allows you to understand the deeper things of God. Once, I heard Kari Jobe say that she doesn't really consider herself to have met up with God if she doesn't cry. (She's totally a crier, too.) Like, she'll sit there in her little quiet time chair and won't leave until God moves her. I think I finally understand that. Just from the little time of worship, I started tearing up. Then, as I read through the passage, writing down quick little notes in my prayer journal and reading the study helps... Jesus took my breath away. He blew my mind. He caused me to understand things I've never even been close to grasping before. I'm getting all teary-eyed just thinking about it. In the moment, little teardrops just kept falling down my face as He revealed truth after truth after truth to me. It overwhelmed me and yet I didn't do my usual overwhelmed reaction thing. I actually embraced it

It was overwhelming in a good way. It was like... I dunno. Here comes a lame analogy... But, you know in kid's tv shows when it's the character's birthday, and all their friends are planning a surprise party, but they feel neglected because nobody has time for them all day? I have felt like that character lately. And God has been that group of friends, trying to get a stellar party ready, doing their best to just bring a smile to my face. I've felt neglected by God. (I'm just being honest here. My feelings obviously are hardly ever doctrinally sound, but I will still share them.) And He's just been waiting for me to show up to the little surprise party He's planned. That moment of surprise when you realize all your friends haven't truly been avoiding you, and they cared enough to throw an amazing party for you, and it really does surprise you and you're just like... WOW! This rocks!! That's what those moments of clarity felt like to me. Overwhelming, but totally welcome. I praised God in those moments. Finally. I just sat there, basked in His wonderful presence, thanked Him for all He is showing me. Thanked Him for the profound simplicity of His word. His Book that is so simple, and yet so confusing. Because it's simple, yet hidden from us. Until God chooses to reveal a truth to us, He allows us to be kept in the dark on that little secret. So we go through passages at times, those times when we don't really allow the Spirit time to permeate our hearts and minds and give us understanding, and we're completely baffled by God's Word. We're sitting there wondering, "What the heck does this mean? How am I supposed to get to know God if He makes it so hard?!"

I got news for ya: It's not actually hard to know God. You just have to be quiet and hunker down.

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,

    nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him”—

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Isn't all that amazing? We understand nothing of God except what His Spirit reveals to us. We have the mind of Christ, because we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. "For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received...the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand...God." Ok, I know I chopped that chunk up, but I think that way we can focus on the point I'm trying to make. So, only the spirit in you can understand your thoughts. So if God's Spirit is in us, that means we can now understand God's thoughts and plans. Half the point of the Holy Spirit being with us and in us is so we can understand what God has prepared for us.

Have you ever noticed how harmonious God's Word is when you actually grab your shovel and dig in?  It's amazing. The flow of the chapter can be confusing at first. It takes a minute to sit there and just figure it out. But once you start to piece the ideas together, it just flows perfectly. It makes perfect sense. And, hopefully, it blows your mind just like it did mine.

Thanks for reading through such a long post. It's been a while since I've been this excited about God... But I'm glad I finally am. Thank you, anyone and everyone that has been praying for me these last few months. I know that my parents have been praying. I know that my boyfriend, his sister, and his mother have been praying. I know that my parents' friends and church family have been praying for me. And I know that some of my own friends have been praying, too. You all, you rock. You get some of that credit for God's awesome moves tonight on my heart. Without your prayers, I don't think I would be in this position once again. Thank you.

Also, I might be changing my college major again. HA.

I'll have to pray about it, obviously, but it's a toss-up between plant biology and ecology stuff vs. Christian ministry. Do I want to own a nursery, or do I want to be a Bible teacher? I really enjoy being able to instruct others in God's Word. And I know it's kind of like one of my gifts. We'll see what God has in store.