Wooooo! It’s been wild!

Before going into detail about the ins and outs of the last few weeks of my life filled with wedding planning, a new job, buying rollerblades, and having a slight exorcism/being delivered from pent-up rage (no big deal), last night’s conversation with Ryan was the weighty material I decided to blog.

Ryan’s personality is very attentive to detail. He notices everything, which is an answered prayer and a significant reason I love him so much, as he is extremely kind and thoughtful. On the other hand, this means he notices everything in scripture and asks questions I would never consider. I grew up in a Christian home with scripture everywhere. He did not grow up with the bible, and when he got older and went to church, no preachers could answer his questions leaving him to turn away and follow his path. I would not say he was an atheist, but he did not know what God said.

ANYWAY, you know those seasons of the Christian life where God opens your eyes, and every single scripture jumps out? That is where he is, and it is fascinating and encouraging. However, it can sometimes cause us to get hung up on things that we may not need to get hung up on. For instance, “Who is Cain’s wife?”. Cain’s wife was a significant discussion for us a while back. Since before meeting Ryan, I prayed to God I would not preach where I was unwelcome nor try to open anyone’s eyes anymore. I had enough of that and learned how much of my life I wasted on the wrong people, but the invaluable lessons I’ve gained from staying in the wrong place too long. I would pray that God would open Ryan’s eyes, and if he is to be in my life, I am to move out of the way and let God work. However, ‘Cain’s wife’ got to the point that I was getting concerned with foundational truths and finally prayed and asked God what to do. I had to come to terms with speaking the truth about whether or not Ryan was to stay in my life or not, and obviously, God opened his eyes, and we moved forward. We joke about “Remember Cain’s wife” as a reference to getting through anything in our relationship. I am thankful to have Ryan in my life as he asks questions and points things out that I either overlook or NEVER think about. He comes with a brand new perspective and one in which he does not have a background in church, and knowing the basics of scripture causes him to notice the little things.

Last night, we were on the phone, and Ryan asked me to read scripture from Romans, Corinthians, or Galatians. I chose Corinthians, but of course, I could not pick a simple scripture. I read the first three chapters out loud.

“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” – 1 Corinthians 2:1-2

“The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.  The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 2:10-16

“For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?”

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” – 1 Corinthians 3:4-8

I read three chapters and was thankful for the reminders of God’s wisdom and being led by Him and not a man when Ryan asked, “Who is Apollos?”

Me: “Friend! That is what you got out of it?! Who is Apollos? I don’t know who Apollos is. Apollos was the last thing I thought about when I read that scripture. I don’t care who Apollos is, and he’s not that relevant in context. Look at the big picture. You are getting hung up in things that don’t matter.”

I did not want to quench anyone’s curiosity or knowledge, and he had valid questions, but “AHHHH!!!!”. He understood my frustration but also said he could not help because he has A.D.D., catches small details, and cannot move forward until something is complete. I get that. I have the same issues.

I turned to the index and did not see Apollos listed. I remembered my favorite scripture in Acts 17 and knew the name Apollos was there. I skimmed through until I got to chapter 18, where God gave me a slice of humble pie where it read, “And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures came to Ephesus. This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.” – Acts 18:24-28

Just like that, God showed me where the description of Apollos was so we both could sleep. God humbled me after my momentary frustration with Ryan getting caught up in little details and not seeing the bigger picture while answering Ryan’s question at the same time. After that, we both laughed, and I closed my bible and said, “I’m going to bed. I think we are done here.”

God used this as a teaching moment for both of us.

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” – Ephesians 4:2-6