I don’t like homework. Who does. It takes up precious time that could be spent on more leisurely pursuits like watching the weather report on the news or playing with my rescue kitty, Pearlie Blue, or even napping. These are the activities I would rather do than homework.
Homework? Why homework? Each week I attend a “Bible study”. Bible study is in quotation marks because the small group I belong to is studying the book “Rooted”. I don’t know who it is by and I don’t really care to know. Full scripture verses are given in the book, so then why look them up?
The small group, Bible study I belong to through my church meets once a week on Thursday nights where we discuss that weeks homework. The homework consists of reading a chapter in the book, answering questions and then discussing our answers with the other members of the group.
So, this past Thursday, I came home took my usual after-work nap, but before taking the nap I confessed to the group through Text that I had not done the reading for that week and wouldn’t be joining them that night. The leader said that was okay and to just come anyway. I didn’t go. Instead I took a nap, and then worked on removing junk emails from my inbox.
It wasn’t until later that I realized why I hadn’t done the reading and why I didn’t attend the meeting. The leader of the group and his wife had recently moved into a new home here in town. Even though he texted participants the address I felt uneasy about going to a new home, in a new area. Their moving to a new place threw me for a loop. I don’t deal with change well. It takes me time to get my bearings again after a change. I’m thinking of bowing out every week until the small group ends because I was comfortable at the leader’s old home. I’m just not dealing well with the new place to which I’ve never been.
So what do I do? Keep bowing out? Look them up on Google maps and do a drive by in daylight so I can find and see the place? Yes, that’s what I need to do to get my comfort level up.
In scripture, Philippians 4:6-7, Christians are told to be anxious for nothing, but by prayer, specific prayer, to let our requests be made known to God. And then after we do that–give it to God–his peace, beyond understanding will keep our hearts and minds calm through Jesus Christ.
So then, note to self: give your anxiety to the Lord (because he cares about even the little things in our lives), look up the address on Google maps and go find the place during daylight hours. That should bring my anxiety level down and allow room for more peace of Christ to fill what once was taken up by unnecessary stress.