Concluding Thoughts About Our Recent Spanish Bible Study, Part 2

Continued from the previous post...

I was a bit nervous leading up to teaching--not extremely so, but more so than I generally experience. Over the course of the past six weeks, I've come to realize how much I'm concerned with getting it right: choosing the right vocabulary word, using the right verb tense, and so on. This is, in part, because I don't want to be wrong (can you say "pride"?), and in part because as a teacher, it's important to me be accurate. These two factors have been at the root of my hesitancy to speak the language in the past. Nonetheless, I went for it. I took my time (at times it seemed to me to be painfully slow), and trusted the Lord to lead/help me, and felt satisfied as I concluded.

Later in the week a woman from the study passed on a comment her husband made about what I shared on Sunday: "I wouldn't want to hurt Josh's feelings... but I got more out of his teaching in Spanish than from any of his teachings in English!"

I hope it doesn't seem self-congratulatory to add this comment. I mention it as an illustration of God's grace and faithfulness. It's not that I'm without ability; I can speak Spanish. (There--I said it! This is something I have opted NOT to say in the past.) It's in the form of a question that I sense God's continuing challenge (and encouragement) to me about this part of my life: "Will you accept My invitation to reposition your gaze? You will continue to be amazed by what I can do when you stop looking at yourself and instead look at Me."

Wow.

I felt and feel no condemnation or scolding in His tone or His words. Rather, I feel freshly reminded that it's by HIS grace that amazing things transpire--not by my ability or efforts, so that I don't end up taking the credit for things that I feel comfortable doing, or feel unnecessarily hesitant about stepping into things that are a stretch. He's the One who assumes the responsibility for completing what He starts; my responsibility is to partner with Him, and follow through in order to experience that completion.

God is an unparalleled multi-tasker! Once again, I stand amazed by how much God has in mind to do in and through His kids when they say YES to Him. The Bible study is over (for now =), but the work God is doing in me continues on.

Concluding Thoughts About Our Recent Spanish Bible Study, Part 1

Last Sunday we concluded our 6-week Spanish Bible study. We covered the first 6 chapters of Disfruta tu diario vivir con Dios (Enjoying Your Journey With God, by Daniel Brown). We ended with the chapter entitled "Reading Your Bible"; the teacher was yours truly.

I'll mention just a few highlights from the past six weeks. Forget saving the best for last: the absolute highlight for us was the richness we all experienced in being together--stepping out of our English-speaking comfort zone and into exciting new frontiers of communication. Also great was the teaching: in six weeks we heard from five different teachers, each with their own unique giftings sharing from their own particular experiences in their walk with Jesus. As a result, we left the Fireside Room each Sunday feeling refreshed, encouraged and built up in our faith. And, of course, I can't NOT mention the edibles. Pan Dulce, donuts, homemade cookies, an especially tasty fruit salad containing, among other oh-so-satisfying ingredients, fresh, sweet, juicy mango (I ate three bowls), and lots more. These are among the many wonderful things that made our time together each week so delightful.

To be continued...