Deliriously Happy (or relieved)

So much has happened these last two weeks, in fact, since i handed my dissertation in - scrub that - since the Easter holidays, no, make that since March!! 2008 has been a year of change, movement, action, shaking out of comfort zone, having to work extremely hard both at work and at college whilst still maintaining a family life and a social life. I am overwhelmed by God's gracious dealings with me in all areas of my life. I don't deserve it. But then, there's the thing - none of us do!

I went into my exam today, with great trepidation, which just isn't me. I had listened carefully to all of the lectures, done about 80% of the reading, tried to understand OT theology and yet I felt ill-prepared and nervous. I had to work so hard last week on preparing for the P6/7 weekend away - the programme, the finances, the paperwork and preparing letters for my admin assistant to print out and label this week - to the Preschool parents and to holiday club parents. I also had to do a lot of ordering (but then spending money is never a chore!) for the holiday club and for Sunday's coming awards service.....put simply - revising for my exam went on the back burner.

But I wrote my exam answers knowing that God was with me. I'm aware this might sound daft or trite and I can rationalise it away by saying I obviously know more than I thought I did. But as I sat back and considered the first question, about the uniqueness of Israel's God amongst the other gods of the period, it all came flooding back. Monotheism and the attributes of God - his holiness, his power, his love; his righteousness (hat tip to Dyrness!). Particularism v Universalism. His chesed; steadfast love.

The whole course and the knowledge I possessed before commencing the course, just "clicked" right there and then as I sat in the exam. This was God's Big Plan which I tried to explain to children at the weekend! I think I need to do some further work on writing some child-friendly material on this at some point in the future to provide a sequence of presentations. I didn't really cover the prophets in detail, for example.

Our weekend away was awesome. Lots and lots of fun. We had a couple of children with us who I was concerned about for various reasons but they had a great time (one said he wished he was in Primary 6 so he could come back again next year), in fact the child who was new to faith had an incredible experience of God's love and peace during the Sunday morning worship, teaching and communion time. God met with us all powerfully. The leaders and I had a significant time of prayer on Saturday night into Sunday morning. We literally couldn't get off the floor at one point as God's presence overwhelmed us. How he loves us and how he loves these children - please do watch this..thank you Father for your faithfulness and love.