Valerie is a 42-year-old, single, Reformed Christian lady who lives in Baltimore. She doesn't remember a time
before she knew and loved Jesus, but she does remember accepting John Calvin into her heart in March of 2000.
Valerie is a member of Christ Reformed Evangelical Church in Annapolis.
Though her career aspiration is to be a housewife, Valerie has not yet found anyone suitable who wishes to hire
her for employment in that field (or, more properly, anyone suitable has not found her), so in the meantime she
earns her daily bread working in communications -- editing, writing, print design and website management.
...How Sweet the Sound (and Taste and Sight and Smell and Touch)
Worship today seemed just about perfect to me. After a dark-hearted and weary-souled fall and a winter of chastisement and repentance, spring has brought renewal and hope in my world. Last night, for the first time in seven months, I had friends over for dinner and fellowship. It was a tremendous blessing to me. Then this morning I felt as if I actually worshiped rather than just going through the motions as I have so many Sundays in recent months. A friend who'd been gone from our fellowship for several months returned today like the prodigal. The exhortation to love the brethren and replace bitterness with tenderheartedness would have battered me just a few weeks ago, but today I could hear it with gratitude, running a mental checklist of relationships and rejoicing that the Lord had smoothed out some bumps and that He's been unclenching my self-protective fists to be able to start giving again rather than just clutching and fighting. The sermon was Glen's usual display of love for Christ and His people, but my heart was more receptive than it's been in a while. During the supper, I looked around the room, delighting in the sight of dear friends. Nathan and I caught each other's eyes and raised our glasses in a "cheers!" gesture as we partook of the joyful feast of the people of God. At the benediction I stepped back a row and put an arm around Karen, and she around me, in our congregation's customary liturgical PDA.
God's amazing grace has been there all along, of course, but today the ears of the deaf were unstopped, the eyes of the blind were opened, the sound and sight and scent and savor were abundant, and I am grateful. And now I'm going to go partake of one other delightful Sabbath sensation -- napping!
Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 2:17 PM
• Permalink
•
•
1 comments
