Are you in a Bible study? Ok, maybe your church calls it a "small group", "life group", "community group". If you aren't familiar with this Christian gathering, it's a really interesting place. Really the only place you can ask for prayers for your uncle's wife's cousin's right toe. And no one laughs but rather everyone looks serious and concerned or tries to put on a really empathetic face. Like, "Wow, sure thing, Sue. We'll remember your...what's her name?" Extra credit for the people who write that prayer request down. Truly remarkable.
So we've been in a few in our years of marriage. Some in college, too. (And one friend was in my college Bible study and now my adult grown up one!) Fun people, fun times. I don't know, we were just getting ready to head to ours so I thought I would just write a blog, a documentary if you must, about our Bible study/small group/life group/community group history. If you make it in this documentary, and are unhappy with your description, please let me know. I will try to put my best foot forward but we have met some real characters in our past through these groups and y'all, it's real life characters that make great stories. And I love you all. Continuing...
Our first study was held at a bachelor pad house. We were the only married couple. It was a nice gathering- potluck meals were literally transferred from pots on the stove to car to table. Fancy stuff here. The group was great. I remember answering questions about marriage and think it's even funnier now, because I still am not a marriage "guru" and had no clue what the hello kitty I was doing back then. Good times. It was our last study with one of Austin's best friends, also in our wedding, who sadly past right after our oldest was born. Austin was able to see him in the hospital right before his passing. We brought our baby to his funeral. He was so full of life. I can look back at his fun personality and grin. He was super excited for us. Precious one.
The next study was a bit more "refined" if you will. I liked this one as we were in it with a couple of our dear friends from college and how spoiled we were to see them every week. I guess as you get older you just appreciate time spent with people more. Things happen, people move, and in the younger years I just took much more for granted. I probably do now too and don't realize it, and years from now I will be saying the same thing. This house had a cat. I would sneeze all week until about two days before the next study, then sneeze all through study until the next week. It was a sinus nightmare snot cycle.
So our study moved to another location, same people. These folks also had cats. They lived way across town, funny that same part of town we attend study now. They were great and exciting. They had a baby and I learned a lot about baby things- childbirth, nursing, pumping, boobs. Basically I got schooled on boobs. And post-childbirth body situations.
So our study again morphed. People moved away, people were added. We met at the church with a sitter. Then we hosted a Christmas party at our house. It was fondue. Fondue is cute and all hipster if you eat it out. It's a nightmare if you make it homemade. Almost burned the house down. Went through several bottles of wine. All in the name of Jesus.
We left this group as we were considering going with a church plant that was happening. We went back and forth on if we'd actually do it- and were without a study for a while. Then we hopped on the church plant bus. Then we got hooked up with a study led by a man in seminary grounded in truth and who preached it every week.
This study was a culinary adventure. We met every single week. We all took turns making snack, which is a usual in studies. Maybe I should rephrase that. We had the "best of..." every week. "Snack" for this group would have been an offensive word. Seriously everyone brought their best every week. This study I learned how to make "trailer park truffles" and pull off a surprise themed meal, ate homemade Chinese, brought meals for friends having babies, learned how to throw things together with what you had on hand.
So we met through the summer. I think it was because everyone in this study loved food. And we really enjoyed being together. Christmas parties were really classy. Great food. I have never felt so challenged in a culinary way. It was beautiful. If someone was visiting we would joke that the snack person that week needed to make the snacks extra special, so we're known as the "good food group" and maybe they'll stay. And I should give a shout out to my friend from this group who just received a nomination as a finalist for The Pillsbury Bake Off contest. (She might have introduced the world to chocolate covered bacon and Cheetos. Both were tasty. Incredibly talented lady who had pink hair when I first met her which I loved.) We were just a group of ladies who loved to cook, bake, and feed people. The husbands liked to eat. (We sound like 50's housewives...) I suppose this group was more Baptist than Presbyterian in that sense. Anyway, we loved this group- theology and food. And people. We miss y'all something terrible.
And so that brings us to a place where we switched churches. Well, little did my husband know that I had been praying for us to go a little more informal. Loved the people at our precious church, but I was in a spot where I needed to let loose with Jesus. I pray my words don't offend, like I said, precious, formal setting. Reverent. I let loose a little more than my husband. (And after 10 years, he really does have dancing hips! I've seen them in action on the dance floor and *might* have some witnesses at this occasion.) So we're at a Baptist church now. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Home sweet home. Hands in the air. Wave them like you just don't care...
We sought out a study with other homeschool families. We love them so much. People in this group are seriously gifted at reproducing. They do it well. Beautiful children. One family is also adopting and to see the hand of God in their story is just incredible. We meet weekly. I've probably gone the deepest with this group of women. I've ugly cried. They've been there to call on. We've all shared things that we'd never tell, a sacred trust. It's a whole lot of silly but when things get serious, this is a pack of women you can count on. You might say everyone is well-behaved because the leader is a minister at the church. But they're really great people, even when the minister isn't there.
It's a group I don't have to "clean up" for. Where I haven't showered from my morning workout and I'm not sure I've brushed my kid's hair. In a couple of days. Or wiped her mouth after dinner...wait I haven't fed her dinner yet. With hand-picked, mismatched and too small clothes but she's happy to be going. And I'm happy. Everyone is happy, happy. To a group unashamedly clinging on to Jesus. They know their weakness. And His power. And so we meet.
Who knows what the future holds in the way of Bible studies. But so far it's been a fun ride. We are incredibly thankful all the characters through the years have been written into our story, studying the best book ever, by the Author who is the Ultimate Glue. We love you all.
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