Oct
14
2015
A Thorough Cleaning
Posted in Faith 2 Comments
I finished the notes for the Bible study that I teach.
Writing them is a wonderful process from start to finish.
After reading what I need to read in order to prepare, I write all the notes in long hand.
After writing the notes on three sheets of legal-size paper, both sides, I begin to type.
Usually all of that writing amounts to about four typed pages.
The women seem to appreciate having the notes since it helps them follow along.
The notes are also the place where I can insert Biblical history.
That history helps us understand the times that the book was written in a bit better.
I love to read and study, so this process is never a chore for me.
Writing all the notes in long hand first helps me commit them to memory.
By the time I type, the material is a part of me.
With God’s help, I try not to refer to the notes at all when I teach.
It is a discipline I learned back in my college days.
It was a way of studying, not just for the purpose of the test but rather for life.
I wanted to really know what I was studying.
I wanted it to settle down deep.
After the notes are completed and saved on my computer, I print them out.
From that original set of notes, I make thirty copies so that we will have a few extra.
Years before, I used to sort and staple the notes myself.
This year I decided to do things a bit differently.
We have our Bible study every other week.
This year, the Bible study is in my home.
I have two wonderful home-school girls that come to take care of the children.
The children that come are kindergarten age and younger.
What a blessing to know that they are playing with my children’s toys.
The little girls get so excited to play with the toy kitchen and the pretend food.
They enjoy the dollhouse and the Little People sets as well.
They are content from 9:30 -11:00 while their mothers study God’s Word.
We just had our first class two weeks ago.
I looked around my kitchen and was delighted to see women all around my long farm table.
It thrilled me to see the women at my kitchen island.
It was so wonderful to know that we needed folding chairs in the family room as well.
The women are hungry for the Truth of God’s Word.
They love diving in to know the Lord Jesus better and love Him even more.
They enjoy the company of the other women.
They are sisters in the Lord.
Last class, when I copied my notes I noticed faint lines on the paper.
It seemed like every few lines were faded and I blamed the copier.
I decided to go to a printing place and have the notes copied and stapled.
I knew the quality would be better.
In minutes, thirty copies were done for me.
Thirty copies all stapled and put in a white bag.
I left so excited that this was one job I would not have to do when I got home.
I would not have to lay the pages on my kitchen island and staple them.
When I got home, I took the copies out of the white bag.
I discovered that the same faint lines were on the paper.
Every few lines were lighter and hard to read.
The problem was still there.
The place I took my original notes is known for the kind of job I needed done.
It was not anyone else’s fault but my own.
I was griping in my head and blaming someone else for something that was my fault.
My copier here at home was the problem.
I got out the printer manual and looked at the troubleshooting page.
There on page 53 was the section on print quality problems.
If you notice light or dark bands across your printouts or they are too faint, run a nozzle check to see if the print head needs cleaning.
I had to go back to page 26 to read how to run a nozzle check.
A series of steps walked me through the process.
Reading the prompts on the printer, pressing the up or down arrows, I ran the check.
I ran the print head cleaning twice, since after the first time the lines were still there.
Finally, after the second print head cleaning, the lines were gone.
This week’s Bible study will still have faint lines on the notes since the copies are already made.
However, the next time we meet the notes will be clearer.
A little maintenance goes a long way.
They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When He had spit on the man’s eyes and put His hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put His hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home saying, “Don’t go into the village.” (Mark 8:22-26)
It took two times before the blind man was able to see.
The first time, the man’s sight was only partially restored.
The second time the man’s sight was fully restored and he saw everything clearly.
Having to do this twice had nothing to do with Jesus; He is able.
Having to do this twice had everything to do with the man.
That’s just the way we are.
We begin to have our spiritual sight gradually.
It is a process to begin to see spiritual things clearly.
Very rarely will someone have a Damascus Road experience like the apostle Paul.
God can open the spiritual eyes of someone in an instant if He chooses.
However, most of us need a bit of time.
Things are unclear at first but then everything is seen clearly.
Like my printer, the maintenance had to be done.
The nozzle heads needed cleaning.
One time was not enough.
After the second time, everything was clear.
What grace the Lord Jesus gives to His people.
He gives us time to see things clearly.
All the while, Jesus is standing right there with us.
What do you see? He wants to know.
What DO you see?
I’m so very thankful for the time you spend studying, taking notes, typing, coping and teaching us the word of God. As I’m on my 7th year under your wing I am so glad that God lead me to this study group from parsonage, youth room, kitchen, library, sanctuary to your lovely home, there’s no place I’d rather be on a Wednesday morning than soaking up scripture along with so many other woman of faith. Thank you Gina, it is a blessing to be one of your sweet sisters.
Marcie,
Your sweet words touched my heart. Studying God’s Word together for the past seven years has been a gift to me as well. Friendships are so much deeper when they have the Lord at the center. Friends and sisters in the Lord. What could be more precious?
Gina