Daybreak

I looked at the time when I awoke after a fitful night's sleep.  We had gone to bed early enough, but late by the Daylight Savings Time that had gone into effect yesterday.  Now it was 7:48, almost eight o'clock, and I wanted to attend a Ladies' Bible Study at the church at 9:00.  Since I like to eat breakfast,  I made oatmeal, sliced some strawberries and banana and grabbed a few blueberries.  My husband had arisen earlier and made his breakfast; now he was sound asleep.

Stepping over throw pillows and dislodged bedding, I located shoes and clothes and headed for the shower.  Our only bathroom is small, and when I laid my towel on a bench holding my favorite soap dish (not your regular soap dish, but a 12-inch, graceful, ceramic bathtub), I heard a crash.  My soap dish!  In a dozen pieces!  What a start to the morning!

Then Howard rushed me out of the bathroom, so my hair and makeup were done in stages, but I finally grabbed purse, keys and phone and got out of the house.  I saw a roadside clock on the way showing straight-up nine.  Well, it was little more than a 10-minute drive, so I wouldn't be too late.

Hm, that's strange, I thought.  This time change must have gotten to a lot of people, for only a couple of cars were parked at the church.  No one was in the meeting room, but I saw a light and thought I heard voices at the end of the corridor.  I called hello, and a woman came out of the kitchen.  "We're getting the coffee ready," she said.  When I wondered where everyone was, she said, "It doesn't start till 9:30."  9:30!  The bulletin had said nine, but turned out that was a printing error!

The study was on I and II Thessalonians, Children of the DAY, a video series by Beth Moore. What a treat that was!  And really only the introduction  of the first of 9 sessions!  Her animated, rapid-fire enthusiasm and skillful delving into word meanings, let alone the art of bringing Bible personalities to life and sharing personal examples from her own life, resulted in renewed appetite for the scriptures in her listeners.

But one of the best parts was meeting many ladies I didn't know and who didn't know me.  Some didn't even know I went there, since the church is large and it's hard to meet people on the other side of the church at greeting time.  I had brushed shoulders with some at other activities, but this was a chance to get to know them better.  I enjoyed showing pictures of grandchildren on my phone, and admiring theirs.  Prayer needs were shared and prayed over, giving insight and understanding of the concerns of our neighbors.

The lesson dealt with the famous parting of the ways of Paul and Barnabas, and how God used that to spread the gospel in different areas.  Beth Moore introduced the possibility that sometimes change is necessary to accomplish God's will and to open new doors of opportunity that might never have surfaced otherwise. Perhaps that will happen for me.  We have been in a season of change recently and are open to what God might have for us!  I can't wait until next week, when all the wrinkles will have been ironed out and I will be there at the right time!