Yes, I totally borrowed the title from The Hobbit. But it seems appropriate for talking about how I came to start this blog. It was a circuitous route, and I’m sure more twists and turns are in my future. I’ve really been thinking about writing something like this for a long time but never could solidify why I wanted to do it or what I would actually write about. Rather than boring you with the details of decades, I’ll start with last week. I love reading and occasionally buy books that then sit on the shelf until it is “time” to read them. Adamant by Lisa Bevere is one of those books. I’ve had it for close to a year and started reading it when I first bought it, but couldn’t quite get my mind in the right frame to read it. Then last week I picked it up and EUREKA! It is the perfect book for me at this point in my life. I devoured it. And as I started reading, I felt the overpowering urge to underline portions of the book that spoke to me. Now, I am NOT a note taker in books! I love the pristine printing on pages and do not write in books, but I couldn’t resist the compulsion to find a pencil and start underlining. And soon after that, I needed to do more than underline; I needed notes! Instead of writing in the margins of the book, I grabbed my iPad and keyboard and started typing.
And then the idea sparked that I could share what I was writing and learning with others. Would people find it interesting or helpful? I don’t know, but sometimes when God gives you an idea you just have to step out into the unknown. So after prayer and more sparks of inspiration from the Holy Spirit, I decided to take the leap and start this blog.
I feel it is only fitting that my first post includes the portion from Adamant that started me on this journey.
“When truth becomes fluid, we lose contact with answers larger than ourselves. Real truth is a rock. Adamant. Indivisible. Immovable. Invincible. Jesus is truth. And I propose that Jesus is the Adamant.”
I love this quote from Lisa, especially when viewed through the lens of today’s society. I don’t know how people make it through life (and I guess often they don’t) without the rock of Jesus holding them securely and anchoring them in His love and grace. Without Him being my source of truth, I would be lost in “a universe of opinions.” When we focus on Jesus, on Who He is and what that means for those of us who have accepted His invitation to live life in His care, then the hold of this world is loosened, and we are freed to live in His truth, to trust in His care, and invited to abide in Him.
In this world, where truth is twisted, trivialized, and ultimately deemed a fallacy, we can know that there is one unchanging truth and that is the Word of God. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. In Him we find our anchor, our constant light, our North Star to guide us on our unexpected journeys.
May God spark hope and light in your life today.
Michelle