Me & Isaiah

I'm still here. I'm working on the 50 bag order and it's consuming my life a bit. Thankfully I have 14 bags to finish and then take to the embroiderer on Monday. I should be able to do all 14 today, but we know how it goes when I try to plan my day...


I'm processing, praying, and mostly waiting right now. I need to write a vision statement for the ministry we're starting at church and I'm completely over-thinking it. (Karisse, I need a smack.) What is our focus? Our goal? How the heck did I end up as the person writing vision statements for a new ministry? Unequipped? That's me. Terrified? Yup. But boy is there a sense of holy expectation. A stirring in my spirit that proves that He is in this and that He'll do the equipping and take care of the vision statement. Good thing too. Cause I'm kinda messed up.


In all of this that's been going on everything I stumble across is coming from Isaiah. Man, that book has some strong stuff in it. And it's full of God's heart for justice! I read this last night:

I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
  Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals 
  I hate with all my being.
  They have become a burden to me;
  I am weary of bearing them.


When you spread out your hands in prayer,
  I hide my eyes from you;
  even when you offer many prayers,
  I am not listening. (Isaiah 1:13d-15)


Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sights;
  stop doing wrong.


Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
  plead the case of the widow. (Isaiah 1:16-17)

Sometimes I think we get so caught up in doing it right that we forget why we are doing it. Why do we attend church every Sunday? Because it's expected of us as a Christian? Because it's tradition? Because we want to show people how devoted we are to the Lord? And throw in a conference or two just to make sure we're getting that extra boost. I'm hashing through this myself right now. Why am I at church? Why do I go to the mom's group? Or the women's conference? Or the Nights of Worship? Am I coming away changed and ready to take on the needs of others? Am I defending the oppressed or just talking about doing it because it sounds important? I don't help widows and orphans and those are two groups of people high on God's list. I don't know the answer to any of this. Just something I'm processing personally. I do know that it's time for me to read Isaiah from beginning to end over the next week or so. To dig in a bit deeper and get more of His heart.