I hope you've been reading Darlene's book Evidence Not Seen (see link on right). One of the recurring nudges for me in her story is how often memorized scripture is the way God speaks to her. In trials, i suffering, when circumstances her off guard - different passages come to mind that speak directly to the peace and joy God offers in no matter what she faces. The practice of memorizing scripture is a discipline common in previous generations of believers, but more foreign to mine - a generation that easily memorizes a thousand song lyrics but struggles to get one measly verse committed to memory.
I love a moment in The Long Winter when Laura Ingalls is at school. The teacher announces she'll begin the school day with readying the 23rd Psalm: Laura knew the Psalms by heart, of course, but she loved to hear again every word of the twenty-third, from "The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want" to "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Two page turns later, Laura's teacher is leading the children home through a sudden blizzard. The snow is so thick, they have no idea what's two inches in front of them and the air so icy, the children already feel sleepy as their bodies quickly begin to freeze. No doubt, this memorized Psalm and its promise that she would one day dwell in God's house forever gave her fortitude to continue searching for her own.
