Happy Friday!
Congratulations,
you’ve reached the end of another grueling work week. I’m especially excited
for this weekend as it’s the beginning of the NCAA baseball tournament. I’m a
big Ole Miss baseball fan and my Rebels will be hosting the regional round in
Oxford this weekend. Fingers crossed that the results will be better than last
year when the Rebels flamed out in their own regional after posting the best
regular season in school history.
But on to today’s faith
reflection…
Over
the weekend, I had the pleasure of traveling to Southwest Iowa to spend time
with my girlfriend’s family. Her family is a proud farming family whose
connection to their land pre-dates the Civil War. Upon receiving the grand tour
of the farm, I noticed a few things immediately.
First,
it was impossible not to notice the flooding that the area has suffered. Fields
recently planted with crops looked more like fishing holes than an area
suitable for growing row crops. Please keep the farmers of the Midwest in your
prayers as they recover from what has been a nightmare of a year to this point.
Second, the dark, black soil of the area is striking. Living in Tennessee the past
two years, I have become accustomed to rocky, red clay. I’ve quickly discovered
the clay isn’t ideal for developing lush lawns and gardens! (I’m kind of OCD
about grass!) The rich soil made me nostalgic for my youth spent in rural
Southwest Indiana. However, the most intriguing aspect of the landscape was a
feature not seen on the farms of Haubstadt, Indiana. I noticed large mounds that
were covered in grass. The mounds were maybe five or six feet wide and extended
the length of several football fields. What in the world were these peculiar
mounds and what was their purpose? It turns out that these mounds have a name ---
terraces! It turns out the terraces are strategically placed to prevent the
erosion of the striking black soil. You learn something new every day!
Just
as the rich soil blanketing the Midwest can erode and wash away, so too can our
faith erode and wash away when the storms of life come. To prevent this erosion,
we need to strategically place spiritual terraces in our daily and weekly
routines – figurative mounds that keep our faith in place and allow us to grow our
spiritual bounty. Here are a few practices I’ve found that have kept my faith
from eroding and washing away with even the most violent of storms.
Daily Scripture Reading –
Ok, this one should be obvious! However, it is crucial to spiritual development
and growth. It’s not necessary to read an entire book of the Bible or even
entire chapters. Simply reading a few verses a day adds to the richness of your
spiritual soil. I often find myself alternating between Old Testament and New
Testament passages. (Apparently my OCD ended at lawn care and didn't carry over to my bible studies) I find that this practice helps me more clearly understand
the relationship between the two testaments or covenants. Thus, the entire plan
of salvation comes into greater focus.
Weekly Repentance – We all
make mistakes. Every week. Every day. Probably even every hour. Maybe you're making a mistake right now by reading this blog! (Hopefully not) The good news
of the Gospel allows us to repent for our mistakes and un-Christlike thoughts. Admittedly,
it’s an opportunity that I don’t make as much use of as I should. Since my move
towards a deeper faith, I have genuinely felt a deeper conviction while living
in sin. Thus, I am led to seek repentance on a regular basis. For as we read in
2 Corinthians 7: 8-10: “Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I
do not regret it. Though I did regret it- I see that my letter hurt you, but
only for a little while- yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry,
but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God
intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings
repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow
brings death.” Hey you just got your daily scripture terrace covered for the day!
Small Group Study – This is
one of my favorite things about the Evangelical churches I have been a part of.
I’ve been affiliated with a couple of small groups over the past two years – one
on Wednesday nights and one on Sunday nights. I’ve been amazed at the camaraderie
that develops from these groups. Close friendships have been built with people
I never suspected I’d become friends with. These groups have allowed me to gain
a greater perspective with regards to those with backgrounds different than my
own. I’ve also found these groups keep me accountable and on the narrow path of
following Christ. I feel challenged, refreshed, and on fire each time I leave
one of my small group studies. If you are not currently involved with a small
group, I suggest finding one as soon as possible.
The
above are just a few of the many spiritual terraces that exist out there. I
often do not follow these practices as well as I should. Maybe you will resolve
with me to build strong terraces? We never know when a torrential rain will
sweep through and threaten the rich soil of faith we have long cultivated.
Leave a comment below with some of the spiritual terraces you employ in your
walk with Christ.
Have a great weekend.
In Christ,
Kendal May
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