Tuesday Night Love

Seven years ago, Tuesdays quickly became one of my favorite days. It seems odd that Tuesday would hold such a high standard, because it's so close to Monday, however, seven years ago I was a Freshman in college and stayed home that first year to attend a local community college here.

It was that Fall that I attended my first Beth Moore Bible study. We re-taped Living Beyond Yourself that semester and from the first night I was hooked. Totally enamored and intrigued might be better terms to use. My mom had been attending the studies longer, and I knew she'd done a few Women's events at our church back in the day, so when she suggested I come with her, I figured why not?

I would consider myself a late bloomer due to the fact that although I grew up in church, I didn't claim my faith as my own until my Senior year of High School. So, being very new in my own pursuit of Christ, I knew I had nothing to loose by attending Bible study. And I wasn't wrong.

I'd never, in all my years in church, seen somebody teach with such passion and authority. Needless to say, it was contagious. So contagious, in fact, that I went home and devoured my homework. I did it at night because let's be honest, I had no interest in setting aside an hour each morning, but that worked really well for me. (Little known fact, I still do it at night. I have a different routine in the morning.) I knew I was really growing that year, because never in all my years of small group Bible study, had I ever finished one completely, and that year I finished Living Beyond Yourself. It still to this day continues to be my favorite study of all, I think it's just really special to me. It was a mature mark in my walk, if you know what I mean.

I so looked forward to Tuesday nights back then and since then, that still holds true.

The next semester we did When Godly People Do Ungodly Things. That was a tough one, but so incredibly good and eye opening.

I'm not gonna lie, there were many Tuesdays that I went to see Beth. For me, she so held my attention and captivated me. I wanted what she had, and frankly, people are drawn to her. Yes, I wanted to hear a Word, but I loved that she made me laugh and love Jesus all at the same time. I was smitten. I'm not sure that's not how God ordains things. As we are babies in our walk, He plants people in our path to point us to Himself. For me, Beth was that person. It was a few years later that I stopped depending on Beth and following her, but to truly follow Christ himself. Yes, I still hold Beth in high esteem, no doubt about it and she's still such a spiritual mentor to me, but I've matured with time, Praise the Lord.

I knew it would be hard for me to move the following Fall semester because I would no longer to be able to attend Bible study and I was so sad about that. Probably more so than anything else.

But isn't it just like God to send another Bible study in place of that one? Once I got plugged into a church in Huntsville, I immediately found myself volunteering at a Bible study called Truth. I was so hungry for a Word and didn't care who gave it. It was a sweet blessing that it just so happened that Afshin Ziafat took that place. And it was there that the Lord did some mighty work in that little heart of mine. Thankfully, Truth was on Tuesday nights. Still making it one of my favorite nights.

I wouldn't trade those 4 years of Truth for anything in the world. Yes, I always looked forward to breaks when I'd be able to go to Beth again, but I loved my little community there.

When I graduated I was just sick that I'd no longer be able to go to Truth, but then it dawned of me that I had Beth's Tuesday night Bible study to attend again. Oh, the excitement.

That first semester I came home we did Breaking Free. Since I was student teaching and was still technically a full time student, the homework overwhelmed me and I didn't even try it. I think if I did I wouldn't have followed through with it. However, Tuesday nights never disappointed, and it was the one night that seemed to relieve every piece of stress.

Then came LIT. Oh, can we just give Him some praise for that class? Still one of my all time favorites. So focused on studying God's Word, just for girls my age, and intimate at best. At the most they were only allowed to host 25o girls due to the fact that they were remodeling the main sanctuary. I will be forever grateful for that class. It was a mini-bible class, and I still use that information and to this day study that binder of notes at least weekly. To say that that class came at perfect timing is an understatement. I realize I'll probably never get that opportunity again, so I don't take it for granted one bit.

Of course after that we studied The Inheritance, then Revelation and now we're doing a Heart Like His.

And through all that, Tuesday nights have still continued to be my favorite nights.

The difference now and then are my intentions. Where as before I went to see Beth, now I go to hear a Word from my God. And when I go expecting to hear a Word from Him, He always comes through. Because He'll come through anyway, willing heart or not. Of course, I love me that sweet, little, petite Bible teacher and feel so privileged to sit under her teaching weekly, but I also love me some Jesus.

I also love the fact that my mom and I have gone together all these years. It's our little date. Our Tuesday routine has remained the same and I love that. We don't get there crazy early, nor do we sprint out of there, which I love. We work at the same pace and that's a blessing.

If we get there early enough, we save seats for our peeps, if not, Debra holds down the fort. I get to hug so many of my favorite people each Tuesday night, church, life and blog friends alike and that is thrilling. It's the best, actually.

I've been to a Living Proof Live event and I've been to Tuesday Night Bible study, and without a shadow of a doubt, I'd choose Bible study over an LPL event any time. LPL's are Bible study on steroids, and I love them to pieces, but I also love that I'm one of her home girls. There's just nothing like it. And I think we can that Jesus for that. He's the common bond between young and old, different denominations, statuses and everything else in between.

That, my friends, is why Tuesday nights will continue to be one of my very favorite nights of the week.

And it's nights like tonight that I'm reminded how extremely blessed I am. Thank you, Jesus, for Tuesday nights.

Here's a before scene shot of Bible study. The stage is ready, mom and I are in place, seats are saved and we're just waiting on the ladies. Soon, close to every seat will be filled.

Worship. It's as sweet as it looks.

Some of my favorite Bible study peeps. We're each other's seat savers. Everyone needs a peep like that.