"Jesus prayed thanks because he lived thanks." p. 261 of Lightworks One
Ephesians 1:3-14 (meditated in The Message)
We are . . . I am ABUNDANTLY FREE, ABSOLUTELY FREE.
He settled on s as the focus of his love. . . We are made whole and holy by his love. . . Enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved son.
I knew I loved Ephesians 1. A memory of being at the "Etta Cow Pie" (it had two Greek letters with a cow in the middle on the sign) house and studying this with a group of athletes. Who was leading it. It just hit me. Ephesians 1 spoke to me. It gave me the courage to walk away and take a different path in my life. I was overwhelmed by the overwhelming, never-ending reckless love of God. That chapter. I remember where I was sitting in the living room. I see the faces of the people, mostly just half-heartedly there. Who had dragged them to come and study the Bible? That was really only the second time I had ever really "studied" the Bible. I had gone a little it to Sunday School and the "4th Quarter" at the First Baptist Church of El Segundo. Oh, and I had gone to Jet Cadets, where we memorized John 1 and got a pin for our Jet Cadet hat. But to sit and soak and study. I had also done it the summer before when I bought myself a Bible and studied 3 John (because it was short). But this was my first group study. And Ephesians 1 just hit me. I been chosen, blessed, forgiven, sealed. ABUNDANTLY FREE. It took me a while to break free from the bad influence that was brought to me by one person who sat in that living room, but by March 17, I completely broke free. ABUNDANTLY FREE, and God's truth in Ephesians 1 was part of that process of freedom.
Whom the Son sets free . . . we are free indeed. I'm a child of God. Yes, I am.
Truths for a Tuesday morning.
Another thing that hit me was from my meditation on God giving Mary the gift of motherhood in Luke 1. Tetlow says, "God has called you from your mother's womb by your own name" (p. 251). He really did. God gave my dad a new name. One they had not planned for me. He took one look at me as I came from my mother's womb and said, "She is not a Karen. She is a Carol." (It makes me think of Zechariah saying, "His name will be John.") and God called me because my name means, "Song of Joy," and I think that so aptly describes me. It is deep to have the name change. It was a God thing. My dad was listening. Charles William Wardrop was listening to you without even knowing that he was listening to you. Before he really knew you, you spoke to him. (Carol is the feminine form of Charles too, and he did not know that either.)
Things are God things. All is gift.
15 done at the perfect time.
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