Anointed

Indeed, I have completed my last finals of my undergrad career - thanks be to God! Things are looking up. I cannot believe that in a mere three weeks I will be in the classroom. This is somewhat terrifying to me but too exciting to dread. I am anxious to check things out. I will spend from January 2-February 23 in high school French and English and from February 23-May 4 in middle school English. Call me OCD (because probably I am), but the past day or so since I've been home, I have had the most fun organizing folders and making rubrics and worksheets. I've already learned that when you're a teacher (and probably a mom), the label maker is your best friend!!

On a completely different note, the night before finals ended (Monday), my dear suitemate kidnapped our suite for some kind of surprise. I guess she didn't actually kidnap us, but she called from an undisclosed location and told us to follow her instructions to end up where she was. Earlier in the day she handed us a paper for us to list our biggest prayer concerns concerning the world, King College, someone close to us, ourselves as individuals, our suite, and our spiritual life. I thought this was a kind thing and that she was simply planning to be intentional in praying for us over Christmas break.

When we arrived after a trek through the woods, we found circles of candles and the most perfect background music - Shane & Shane. We spent nearly three hours in intense confession, prayer, and worship together. It was one of the sweetest, rawest moments of worship I have ever experienced. We wept and prayed against strongholds and worries. When we looked up at one point, we saw Dr. Strang sitting in front of us. Dr. Strang is one of those people you want to know everything about and whose passion and intensity are absolutely contagious. He brought oils of frankincense and myrrh from Israel and told us of an ancient custom. As he explained not only the tradition from the Old Testament but the mentionings and symbolism in the New Testament, I realized I had never contemplated the significance of the symbol of oil and anointing. Seriously - I seem to just blow it off like it's irrelevant now. He came up to us individually and anointed our foreheads with a cross of frankincense and myrrh. The aroma was unsurpassable.

He whispered to me, "Daughter of the Covenant, you have been the recipient of a sacrifice through the birth and death of Jesus Christ. He has already counted you as righteousness. Live, now, in Him." It couldn't have been more pointing. The Lord has been working on my heart, and this moment was a wonderful time of affirmation. It was absolutely surreal. I haven't even talked to anyone about it yet; it seems too sacred or something. I am just so thankful that my dear suitemate listened when the Holy Spirit told her we needed a word. What an amazing Christmas gift. He has indeed already counted us as righteousness (Romans 4:23-24). It's time to live like it.