When Life Is Hard...

Last week I called Sherwood Baptist Church about there upcoming Bible Study that started last Thursday night, the lady on the phone told me the details and then told me about another Bible study on Tuesday mornings at 9:30, except the Tuesday morning study offered child care, PERFECT!! So yesterday I went to the church to find out where I was supposed to go and to go to their library to purchase the book for the study. Everyone was so nice there and I even met one of the guys that stars in their new movie coming out, Courageous!!  He was super nice... but anyways : )  I was taken to the library and showed the book that I would be purchasing... when I read the title I was literally fighting back the tears...

I bought the book, made my way out to my car, after telling Mr. Moviestar and the office workers bye, and flipped through the book. The first words I read were 'Surrender To The Refiner's Fire And Come Forth As Gold'. The study is about the trials that we face in life... what is a trial??? It's a painful circumstance ALLOWED by God to change my conduct and my character...  to change me : )  It deals with TRUST... relying on God and trusting in Him  to burn away the impurities and bringing you forth as gold.  I sat in my car just in awe of God. With everything I have been going through since Weston has been gone and here He brings me to this Bible study that has to do with the very things I am going through.

So this morning I arrive early to the church, a little nervous of how Abi was going to react to being dropped off in a nursery and not knowing anyone. She did great, she had a wrist band with a number on it and I had to wear the matching wrist band with the same number, and when I picked her up they told me I could only pick her up if I had the matching number wrist band (thought that was neat). She didn't cry one bit, she went off and found her a baby, and a kitchen and she was in a world of her own. So I made my way to the Bible study, the room was packed... I made my name tag and was told to pick a table with an open spot and help myself to some breakfast. I chose a table in the front with one girl sitting at it, she looked to be about my age, her name was Jenna and she was super nice... came to find out her and her husband were also in the movie, Courageous, it was fun listening to her talk about it... I really liked her! There were about 60 women in the room and they all seemed to know each other but everyone made me feel very welcomed. The table that you sat at would be your small group for the next 7 weeks, so we started off by introducing ourselves, and it really surprised me at how comfortable I felt with these women, and how ironic our group leader's name is Georgia : )   Sitting there listening to these women and me myself sharing and interacting I had to hold tears back a few times. It just amazes me at how God can work in your life, I KNEW that I was meant to be a part of this study, but not only the study, this group of women, I connected with them, and I'm looking forward to next Tuesday!

Today we talked about what trials were and why we go through them, and we picked Hebrews 12 apart, and for the rest of the week until our next meeting we have HOMEWORK : ) it's more like devotions, but the book is a workbook, and there is reading, Bible studies, writing involved, I'm super excited to dive into this study and see what God has planned. God is so faithful, and I'm so excited about the place that He is taking me. It has taken me a LONG time to get to where I am, but He knew the buttons He needed to push and the things I needed to go through to get to where I am today, and I still have so much further to go... I will always be a work in progress, until I reach Heaven...  But I am being sanctified : ) 

Ashley