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Rumination

From Websters...
Verb: ru·mi·nate
1 : to chew again what has been chewed slightly and swallowed : chew the cud
2 : to engage in contemplation : REFLECT

I haven't yet thought over all the many things I learnt at Women's Katoomba Convention over the weekend quite as much as a cow chewing and digesting its cud through its fourth stomach (getting all the goodness of out it) but I'm hoping to get there!

I was really encouraged by friends like Kaz and Clem posting up some of their thoughts and what they learned about "Peace in Chaos" as a Christian woman, so not wanting to overlap what they've already said here are some thoughts which particularly bowled me over... something personal for me to really chew over, but I hope you are encouraged too!

Rumination sparked off by Trish Johnson
John 15-16

1. God has an awesome green thumb! He tends and cares for us as His garden - branches whose life source stems from the true vine, Jesus Christ. Any gardener will tell you that pruning is essential and it struck me again why that is - pruning removes everything that will hinder a fruitful harvest. A question to ponder over is to realise and trust in how God is pruning me and to think about whether I'm resisting it - "I can't give that up" or "I can't do this or that".

2. Challenging myself to think about whether Christ is working in me or whether I myself am working, albeit "in His name". Just reminded again that it's all God, not us - even to the point where it becomes clear that God is glorified not through anything we've done but because He has worked in us and through us.

3. Being a rational person, it is good for me to sit down again and count the cost of being a Christian. The question posed was do we really want the joys of sharing with Christ? What are we willing to give up? It can be difficult as a Christian to see the light at the end of the tunnel and keep our focus on heavenly things because the world is just weighing us down and it becomes harder and harder for us to keep our heads above the surface let alone rise and walk with Him. In a way though, sometimes we just have to stop fighting it all and struggling and just trust that we can remain in Christ. As with a lifejacket, we can "bob to the surface", despite the maelstrom around us and truly attain "peace in chaos" by looking only unto Jesus. Another helpful thing for me to weigh up is not just the relative gains (eg a selfish need vs spend time reading God's word) but also the relative losses (eg what is losing a bit of time on the computer compared to spending an eternity without God's presence? How much do I really want to be watching this DVD if it means that I'm putting aside something which is of eternal and soul-wrenching significance?)

4. Thomas Kempsey, "A wise lover values not so much the gift of a lover but the love of a giver".

5. Am I praying in all circumstances? If peace is the possession of adequate or sufficient resources and I am trusting in God to give me peace, then that peace will carry me through and remain intact despite and throughout all circumstances.

Rumination sparked off by Greta Gaut
Psalm 131, 46, 119

1. Stillness is not just a bodily thing, but a complete attitude.

2. Busyness in our society has become a compliment. This really struck me because it is exactly why I hate it when people describe me as busy. I don't see it as a compliment at all. Ask any number of people I've spoken to recently, and they will tell you that I vehemently deny the fact that I'm "too busy" (at which they usually shake their heads in disbelief).

The fact is, I make time for what I think is important, and if that means cutting out some of the more trivial stuff for the sake of the gospel or for the sake of family or friends in need, then so be it. On the surface it might seem that I take on more of these "big activities" than most others (what I would call quality time) but it is completely at the expense of the littler things (or what fills up quantity time). So you see, it is all balanced.

Also, I have the resources to do that as well at the moment as I'm currently single. I can afford to divert my time to any number of things or people without feeling that I am committed wholly to any one thing or person. Is this just the way I am? Well, yes - because that is the situation I'm in. If I were in a different situation (say, married) then obviously my attitude to how I live my life and relate to people will change accordingly, because that would the situation that God has placed me at that time. It is all about trusting in where God is leading you and trying to respond to that in the most godly way possible. Oops, that turned into a rather lengthy digression, didn't it? My bad!

3. It's all about priorities - what we long for betrays what we value. Getting to know God by ruminating on His word is something that I want to put into my heart and put my heart into doing. Meditating in a Christian sense is not about emptying our minds, but rather filling our minds with God's word. If we internalise it, it will start to shape our every thought and action

Rumination sparked off by Elizabeth Foord
Living through the tough times - seminar

1. If your expectations are wrong, then disappointment affects us more. The Bible is realistic and practical, and we know that we can expect hardship and disappointment. We have to be realistic about the world we live in, the choices we make and the people around us.

2. We might not be able to choose our hardships, but we can choose how we react to it. The most striking reminder and reassurance for me here was thinking not about what's happening TO me, but what's happening IN me.

3. This earth is a temporary abode for us. Our focus has got to be on heaven, the glory which we know now in Christ and the glory that is to come when He is fully revealed. Sometimes we grow complacent and get rather settled in this world, and a sharp reminder, trial or troubles can serve to make sure our roots don't go down too deep!