This morning our Knowing God study was supposed to tackle Chapter 14: God the Judge. It begins a difficult 3 chapter section that deals with the not fun stuff: judgment, wrath, and goodness and severity. Not light material (not that anything in the book is light), which takes time, patience, and compassion to work through with a group, but appropriate considering we are now in Lent.
It never happened. Computer chat problems for the guys logging in and snow makeup work for another. Sometimes the unexpected throws a wrench into your plans and you have to adjust, and remember that for everything there is a reason beyond the specifics of the moment.
One reason might be is that I believe my study questions for the chapter need reworking to better deal with some of the things raised by Packer that I was surprised I had left out. So, I will redo the chapter materials. That is the advantage of ePublishing. There is no stock of printed workbooks to deal with, just a PDF file that will be redone and uploaded, making the next download up-to-date. That is what is so attractive about doing Christian study materials online, you can fix them as needed–over and over and over again. The ultimate do-over.
In a way, that is how I feel about most mornings when I wake up–I have another chance to fix my life as needed, to take another step forward on the path of sanctification and conforming my life to Christ. Yesterday is confessed and forgiven, today is there waiting with choices ready to be made, a new chance to do the right thing in the right way.
Maybe that is why Lent appeals to so many people. It is like a formal, Church sanctioned restart. In Lent everybody gets another chance, its part of the program, expected even.
Well that’s something not to waste, so I need to fix those chapter questions and use the unexpected as a grace gift to that end. Thank you God.
Grace and peace to your day and may God give you something unexpected to learn from today.
