(This blog is the second in the series about “Countdowns” as I count down to Amanda’s moving out and count down to the Celebration Concert.)

Two weeks from today we get the keys to Amanda’s apartment!  As Amanda and I were driving home from a visit to my parent’s this morning, she asked, “Could we drive past my apartment on the way home?”  Did you hear that?  “Drive past MY APARTMENT?”  Of course I obliged.  We pulled into the parking lot and I pointed it out to her.  Then we sat and I kept my mouth shut.  Sometimes, it takes Amanda several minutes to really look at something.  I did not want to say anything to swerve her opinion nor did I want to hurry up her observation time.  After several minutes I heard her say to herself, “Cool.”  Things are starting to feel just right with this move.

So I have this friend who works in sales.  After speaking today to this friend, she related this story to me about how her boss questioned inventory on a particular item.  My friend is meticulous at keeping records on computer spread sheets – hello Microsoft Excel!  But her boss actually argued with her in disbelief at what was in stock and what had been shipped to the point of making phone calls to verify the information.  My friend got a bit irritated.  I asked her, “Weren’t you insulted at how your boss questioned your work?”  “Yes,” my friend replied.  I know that I would have been more than a bit miffed.

So it made me think.

I wonder if God feels insulted in that same way when we show our unbelief in Him?

One of my current favorite bible verses is this:  Mark 9:24b  I do believe.  Help me overcome my unbelief.  Love it.  Of course I believe.  We all believe – right?  But do I totally believe?

In the second song for the Nov. 18^th Celebration concert the lyrics include this phrase:

We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love,
as if ev’ry promise from Your Word is not enough.
And all the while You hear each desp’rate plea,
and long that we’d have faith to believe.

Beth Moore, in her bible study, “Beloved Disciple” caught me today on this subject where she talked about this.  She said, “Are we simply nouns – believers?  Or are we also verbs – believing?  Believing in Christ and believing Christ can be two very different things.”

The second concert song is called, “Blessings.”  It is a new song.  It is a beautiful song!  The song tells of how we are surrounded by blessings, but are blinded by our own requests and demands to see or understand God’s work in our lives.  Maybe we see little because we believe little?

The song continues:

What if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?

I hope I can be a verb and live like a believing follower of God.  🙂

just Laurel