41 Days In

When I felt called to immerse myself in God’s Word, particularly the Old Testament, by reading it all in 90 days, I was very excited at the prospect. But, to be honest, I wondered as I moved toward my goal if it would become a burden...a chore…a challenge that I just wasn’t up to. On average, my plan requires 15 chapters a day. For me, that’s a solid hour or more depending on how much I dig on any particular day.

Well, I’m 41 days in and I have to be very honest--it is life-changing. I have given up reading the newspaper, so I start my day reading a few chapters over breakfast, then a few more over lunch and then if I have plans for the evening, I have been known to read while making dinner. And I can’t begin to tell you the affect it has had on me to be in God’s Word constantly all day long.

Someone asked me late last week how my week was and I responded, “Very full. Not full with running around, but filled with Jesus.” I see Him in the most unexpected ways almost every single day. He fills me, encourages me and moves in ways I never would have imagined. And I’m convinced that being saturated by His Word for the last 41 days is a large part of His movement. I look so forward to my reading each day that I even read ahead on occasion.

Last night after I finished reading the bible by the fireplace, I went upstairs to our bonus room to catch up on some other reading. As I read, the boys were wrestling with each other. They were getting along better than ever. And have been for days. I laughed as I listened to my 85-pound second born, Zach, taunt his 160-pound brother. Derek had already proved he could whip him with just one hand. It was hysterical. And I made the mistake of saying at one point when Zach had Derek by the neck, “Be careful, Zach--don’t hurt your brother.” As soon as that came out of my mouth, we all laughed at how absurd that was. But of course Zach was all over that. He continued with the smack to his brother, “Did you hear that…yes, you heard right…I have to be careful not to hurt you!”

So, yes, I’m convinced, God’s living Word is rubbing off even on my boys’ behavior. Well...maybe that's just wishful thinking on the part of this optimistic mom.