To and Fro

I've been attempting to compile a short Bible study on mercy for this blog. It still needs. . . tweaking. :)  Maybe it is one of those that will take months.  In fact, I started it over a year ago, but lost the paper in our big move - only to find it again this week when I cleaned out our "office."  I feel that God is teaching me so many things about mercy, but I am struggling with putting it all (or even part) into written form.

I will share one verse.  I love this.  It's Hosea 6:6, "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."  I want to know God.  With my whole heart, I desire to know Him.  I want to be like Him.  I want so badly for others to see Him when they see me. . .that's a hard one considering that I am overly human.

I feel that sometimes when I read my Bible, random thoughts pop out at me.  Sometimes they make sense.  Sometimes, they don't.  Sometimes, I can get a great outline in a minute, while other times - well, let's just say that God still has time to show me what it all means. :)

I remember once (translation:  many times) reading the passage in I Corinthians 7 about the married woman looking after worldly things and the single woman looking after the things of God.  That makes no sense to me.  It bothered me and bothered me and bothered me.  Then one day, I was on Facebook (of all places), and it hit me!  When I was on my own, it would take me a maximum of two hours to clean my whole apartment.  I normally did it on a Saturday . . . and had the rest of the day to do as I pleased.  I worked a full time and a part time job.  I was involved heavily in my church. I was dating the man of my dreams. Life was good.

Life is still good.  Now that I am married, at times I would get frustrated with how my house was not clean.  I feel that I am constantly cleaning, but never getting anywhere.  How do people do it?  I love God and do my best to serve Him and learn about Him, but a lot of my time is spent cleaning, meal planning, budgeting, grocery shopping, organizing, and cooking - not necessarily in that order!  The list is endless - and so far I've only added a husband and a dog to my life! So anyway, back to Facebook.  I was scanning through the many statuses and saw the status of an unmarried friend who is between 5-10 years older than I am.  I don't remember exactly what she said, but I was shocked at myself for being annoyed at her comment - it was a comment either about God or a good godly book that she had recently read.  My conversation with myself went something like this:

Me:  What in the world.  Does she never do anything else but read?  Doesn't she have a life?
Holy Spirit:  I Corinthians 7:34
Me:  I feel embarrassed that I am annoyed at her!  How mean-spirited could I be?
Holy Spirit:  I Corinthians 7:34
Me:  But still, how can she be reading all the time?  It is so annoying (I just realized that maybe I am jealous because I don't get to read as much as I once did. :) ).
Holy Spirit:  I Corinthians 7:34
Me:  Okay, Holy Spirit. . .OH, that makes sense now!

I finally realized after. . . probably years. . . that the "job" of a single woman is to "care for the things of the Lord."  Even though a married woman will love and serve the Lord, she also is to care for her family and "the things of the world."  I looked up what the word "world" meant in the Greek - it means: an apt or harmonious arrangement, constitution, or order.  In other words, a married woman is to care for her world.  Her family.  Her home-and God is the One Who told her to prioritize her life that way!  I felt so much better - for finally understanding that verse and for feeling that I am always concerned about my home!  I also felt better because once I understood the passage, I had more of an understanding for the ways of my friend and I don't get annoyed at her statuses anymore.  She is doing what God wants her to do, just like I am doing what God wants me to do.