2020: Week 4
Is anyone else surprised that January is almost over? Where did it go?! It’s been a lovely month, even with back-and-forth weather. I like to say that the only predictable thing about Alabama weather is that it’s unpredictable.
Just a few updates as we round out this month.
- I don’t want to be afraid to wrestle with God. I’ve always loved children’s ministry and the challenge of explaining biblical truths to them. Now that I’m teaching middle schoolers, the questions they ask are deep. Even when I don’t have the answer or the answer is difficult to understand, I encourage the kids to keep asking questions. Keep seeking God’s truths. There is much to learn from Genesis 32 — when Jacob wrestled with God — but one takeaway for me was to keep wrestling. When I’m hurt, angry, or upset, I want to go to God with it and wrestle it out. I want Him to work on my heart through those tough questions and feelings. I trust Him to transform me and use those difficult times for sanctification.
- God’s plans are better than mine. This concept comes up several times for me because it’s one I struggle with and remind myself of often. I love the story of Joseph’s life because we see God turn some difficult circumstances into blessed ones. Joseph’s life was nothing like he thought it would be, but God used him to save many lives, including those of his family. I’m sure Joseph had to grieve the life he thought he would have, but I’m thankful that we see him realize that God can use man’s evil for good. It may take decades to realize the good, but that’s OK. God doesn’t work on our timelines, and that’s a good thing.
- There are too many types of chords. This week’s lessons were about functional harmony, and we did a lot of work with the different chord types, specifically with 7ths: minor-major, half-diminished, augmented, etc. It was so much more difficult than I anticipated because, in the quizzes, they used the alto clef for many of the questions, and I don’t read that clef well. It threw me for a loop for sure. I think we can do away with half the chord types, though, and still be fine. (I’m just kidding. Music is great.)
Happy end of January, friends, and I hope February treats you well!