Best Ways to Prepare

Christmas is over.  Barry with our daughter and her 2 children have gone to visit Barry's 98 year old Mother.  I stayed back for moments of quiet, reflection and yes, preparation.  I am obsessed by that word these days.  Imagine how I felt when I opened Crazy Love by Francis Chan chapter 8 and read "obsessed:  to have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic."  Hummm, I would have normally put that word in a negative camp; after all, aren't we to be balanced? to be moderate?  Well, the author says the idea of holding back didn't come from Scripture, and then he went on in the chapter to explain. He says people obsessed with Jesus are risk takers.  He challenges one of our preoccupations,  safety.  I agree that we do pray for that a lot, don't we?

So I ponder with those who read this with me, will I be willing to put safety on a lower rung than wanting Go's best, to be a part of whatever brings Him the most glory?  What will accomplish His purposes in the lives of Victoria, Darlington, Boye-Nelson, Remington or Jamaina?  These are a few of the names of students that I will be teaching in Liberia.  I've prayed by name for 20 of them so far, but how am I praying for them?  What difference will it make in eternity that their paths have crossed with mine?

Is this the best use of my time of preparation, reading, meditating, praying for them by name?  I'm beginning to think these activities are essential, and yet I'm not to neglect the actual study of the material I am to teach.  Oh, to find time during this season for disciplined study has been so hard.

So I close today asking that you join with me in my search for the best ways to grow in an obsession with my Lord, and ways to "balance" the activities of life so I leave February 19 truly prepared.