Elaine Goodfriend #2

OT class has proved to be both interesting and challenging.

Professor Goodfriend is sooo knowledgeable in the Word. It's so insane how she knows exactly where to go in the OT for any question you throw at her. The other day, I raised my hand and asked a question regarding adultery. Without any hesitance, her immediate reply was, "OK, lets go look in Leviticus 18:20, and 2:10. And also Deuteronomy 22." While I realize that she's probably read the Old Testament 500 bazillion times, I still admire her familiarity of the Bible.

However, I can't help me think about how hopeless her life is. Whenever Professor Goodfriend talks about Christianity (she is a devout Jew), she seems to have this bitter, cynical tone. She comments on Jesus as if Christians are stupid to believe that He is the real Messiah. As she lectures and goes on and on about the OT, I start to feel sad for her. Here is a woman with exceptional knowledge of the Bible, who follows every tradition of the Jewish faith, and lives her life according to the laws of the Old Testament....Here is a woman who proudly states to her class that she won't bathe during Yom Kippur to observe the laws of old...Here is a woman who is still waiting for her Savior. A lot of times in class, I think to myself, "Man...if she only knew the Truth, if she only knew Jesus...she could do such great things with her knowledge of the Bible. Her life could be so filled."

I can't imagine what it would be like to live life hoping daily for a Messiah to come. I can't imagine living life without the Holy Spirit. Being in that class reminds me of the hope we have in Jesus, of how blessed we are to have something to live for, of God's goodness to provide for us. It helps me to get just a tiny grasp on this unfathomable gift that God has given to us in His son.

What is knowing the Bible by heart, if I don't have Jesus?

Mochi

Every weekend when I go home, I'll spend some time playing with my dog. When I approach him, he gets super excited. He'll start jumping enthusiastically on his hind legs, beckoning me to sit and play with him. As soon as I sit on the floor with my legs crossed, Mochi, without fail, will go frantically looking for his favorite blue chew toy. When he's found it, he'll literally jump into my lap and start chewing away at his toy. He'll spread out his long body, and I can feel him relax all his muscles; he looks so content. I can tell that he loves sitting in my lap and playing. And you know what? I love just sitting there with him, doing nothing.

On Saturday, when I was doing exactly that, I realized something. It takes me a week of being occupied with school and all the other things in my life to be able to sit down for 15 minutes to play with the dog. Some weeks, that's how it is w/ God. It'll take me getting all the things I need to get done out of the way before I sit down and spend time with God. But here's the humbling part: Whether it be at the end of the day or at the end of the week, God is still the same. He doesn't turn and give me the cold shoulder, but rather He embraces me warmly.

And then there are lessons I could learn from Mochi. Take his enthusiasm for one. I ought to be like Mochi, jumping in excitement to spend time with my Lord. I should be at His feet, jumping wildly saying, "Look Father, here I am. I want to sit Your lap."

These things are elementary, aren't they? Things we all know so well in our heads, and yet in the busy-ness of life, forget so easily.

(P.S: I can't believe I practically compared God to my dog...forgive me Father. )

Dude?

There are two guys at my church, Rich and Trevor. They are especially expressive. When they get excited about something, you can see it alllll over their faces. They'll open their eyes real wide and go, "DUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE."

This is weird but, I can't think of any better way to describe how I feel about God and the things He's doing in my life right now. There is not even one thing better than the other. Just sitting and dwelling on God's goodness to me makes me go...

DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE.