Hmmm...

1. While studying in the library, I like renting out the library's laptop and listen to pandora.com. Sometimes the person using the laptop before me will have the same affinity for pandora but will forget to sign out, allowing me to take a look at what music stations that they have. Today I had that happen to me, but instead of the usual today's hit music/pop song stations, this person had a lot of neat Christian stations that I had never heard before (mostly instrumental and guitar oriented). It was almost like having an encounter with a fellow believer in the most impersonal (yet personal, since her musical tastes were revealed, albeit unintentionally) way possible. Thanks to that sister (I assume it's a sister since the email address associated with the account was a girl's name but I guess you never know), I am enjoying my new station, which is "50 Hymns on Guitar."

2. Yesterday, I had this weird epiphany about the meaning of Ephesians 5:25. It was weird because I had it even before the sermon began and it was completely unrelated to the sermon which was more about the ransomed life of the Christian. That Christ loved the church just as husbands should love their wives... After the honeymoon period which can be so annoying/frustrating to the single man to watch (yes, esp. those who are PDA about it... like the whole arm over your spouse's shoulder during the whole service... you know what I'm talking about), inevitably there will be things that you discover about your spouse that are not so charming (and in fact quite disappointing). I think the more you get to know someone, the more you see their faults... but I guess what's special about marriage is that you learn to love someone DESPITE those faults and sinful predilections... that in the end, it's a journey together through thick and thin (in Christian circles, this would fit well with the process of sanctification/restoration).

Christ said it well when he connected the marriage relationship with his relationship with the Church. The Church and the sinful people who make up the church will disappoint... but he covers over all that and loves it even still. There are things that will come up as you get to better know a local church that you don't like... maybe internal drama or perhaps someone you don't get along with due to personality differences. Yet we are called to love, despite all those things.

After this brief and random epiphany, my mind wandered to the fact that it's great I'm realizing these things PRIOR to getting into the real thing (marriage) and that I'll at least have some knowledge/wisdom going into it as I learn more about it on the outside. But I wonder how long I can stay on the periphery before there is limitation to knowledge/wisdom and where the line is between knowing what it's like from the outside and from actually experiencing it. I'm in no rush, but I do wonder how far you can go in life just being on the sidelines.

Surely there is a time for everything, and my time right now is to focus on my training/calling. God give me the patience and wisdom to know when I need to get off the sidelines and dip into that pool to experience the real thing.