A Busy Week

It was hard to go home to Peoria.  I fell in love with my cuddly cat all over again, I met little Ruthie May Wineinger, I celebrated her existence at Lindsay's baby shower, I reconnected with Laura, I watched Hunger Games extras with my mom, and I watched an awful movie with my church family and won a box of Dots.

It was lovely, is what I'm saying, and I worried about returning to Dallas.  I thought maybe homesickness would burrow into me again, and I would have to relive the pain of separation.

That almost happened, but this past week has been so busy, I really had no time for extra emotion.  I settled back into my new home on Tuesday, and while I read by the window, Logos Book Store called and asked me in for an interview.  I dressed up on Wednesday, answered questions, asked questions, and after half an hour, I was offered the job.

On Thursday, I went to DTS for the first official time.  I met a couple potential friends, but more happily, I realized that I'm really very good at meeting people and schmoozing.  With thoughts of school filling my head, I went to Logos on Friday, and had to cram another new facet of my life into my over-crowded brain.

That wasn't enough, obviously, and I went back to work for on Saturday.  It's a lovely store, and already I am sorely tempted by the overflowing bookshelves and, of all things, their greeting cards.  My coworkers are friendly, and on both days someone showed up with fancy cookies for everyone to enjoy.  Obviously, this is my kind of workplace.

Today I went to Trinity Fellowship on my own, since Laura is at her hometown one last time before DTS begins.  I loved the service again, how it combines the friendliness and laid back atmosphere of the Baptist tradition with the rich and purposeful liturgy of history.  We recite the Nicene creed every week, and today we recited the Prayer of Confession after spending a couple minutes in personal prayer.

We take Communion every week, with wine passed alongside grape juice.  I really like having wine, for the earthy, Jewish feeling of symbolism and history.  It makes me think of the Seder meal, how each course represents some aspect of fleeing from Egypt, how bread is not just bread, but is a reminder that God could call you to leave everything at any minute.  When I drink wine at Communion, I think that Jesus drank wine those 2,000 years ago, that he held a glass filled with the same stuff.  More than that though, I like how wine bites at me as I swallow it, how my mouth stings for long minutes after.  It helps me understand, more than grape juice, the pain of Jesus offering his blood to save me.  It's not easy and sugary to drink wine.  It hurts a little, and it stays with me.  I like taking Communion every week.  I don't feel anything, necessarily.  I don't feel super-spiritual or unusually connected to God.  But it feels important.  I think the Lord's Supper is a sustaining spiritual practice, and I have never given it the proper weight and significance before.

After service, I signed up for a women's Bible study on Wednesday nights.  When I moved to Jackson, it took me two years to get involved at Northbrook, so this time I am determined to jump into things immediately.  I'm a little nervous, because I've also agreed to be in a Bible study on Thursday nights at our house, and also, you know, I'm going to seminary.

At least I can no longer complain that I was being poured out more than I was being filled.  At Woodland I taught so many different classes and studies that the (admittedly wonderful) Sunday morning services were not enough to fill what I had given out.  I have a feeling that over these next few months I will become so spiritually full that I will beg and plead for a junior high Sunday School class or women's Bible study, so that I can overflow into someone else's life with all the things I'm learning about God and His will in the world.

Tomorrow I go work a full day, and then Tuesday my classes begin.  I cannot even believe that one week ago I was in Peoria.  It seems months ago.  I guess that means I've settled into Dallas pretty well.