1. The Song below: - which has long been a favourite and reminds me of the power of music. Tracks like this can catapault us from a list of "to do's" and pressure to perform/be seen to be doing ...into the presence of God. The best place to be when seeking future direction. Check out 2 Kings 3:15 - now bring me a harpist. While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha and he said....(prophetic direction was received in the next verses in the passage)
So this acoustic Brian Johnson song has been on repeat play this week for me. I love it.
2. The Sun (not the paper, the big light in the sky)
I've been able to sit outside reading. Marvellous. Day after day, in a wee sheltered spot in my garden.
3. Coffee with a pal
who I have known for a long time - since the early 90s! - but not that well. Ironically since we moved away from our previous place of abode we have met in more and more circles and this week we had lots of time to talk of dreams and visions and ways we might believe God is leading us to see the fulfillment of promises of a fresh awakening in our land! Please Lord, in our lifetime - we both knew of such longing and yearning all over the place in the Body of Christ for revival. How wonderful it is to talk of the things of the Lord that you long to see with a passion in this nation! That conversation turned the whole week round for me as it was utterly life-giving.
4. A very special card from the most unexpected folks in the church I have just left, one I'll treasure.
5. My beautiful family - it's been a hard, hard week with lots of tears but we have seen incredible breakthrough in our children's lives. My 8 year old son saw an angel who spoke to him on Good Friday as he broke down in tears as he saw afresh how much Jesus had sacrificed for him , and my daughter has shown incredible maturity as we have thrown ourselves onto God.
6. A blog post - this is simply phenomenal - (dated Wed April 27th if the blog has been updated since I first posted the link). I have been thinking a lot about preaching and teaching as I "sabbatical" it for now (for ever??). I sense God's saying: reflect, listen and learn - so I just "happened" to read this yesterday. Like me, Alyn was a secondary teacher and I love visual stimuli because I struggle with solely relying on the auditory mode of learning. (and I couldn't have got away with it for the past eight years. I'd have been beaten to a pulp by over 300 kids!!)
Awesome stuff and they are an awesome couple, used by God. Just because someone is a teacher, must they always teach?...
May this week mark the start of something new....
I very much hope that the pain will ease and that healing will be complete and bring wholeness. Not only to you but to your family. I was discussing church with someone earlier on, I mentioned how unwelcoming it can be to people who cannot sit back and go along with the perceived or expected 'norms'. The person I was talking to asked why I bother going. My response was, "one day, I might find myself welcome there".
ReplyDeleteYou have a faith in a Father god who welcomes you and your children to himself. You'll be greatly missed in the church you've just departed, take the hands of the Father and fly with him. Let him place you safely down in a space where you will once again be able to reflect his love, greatness and power. God, the Father. Your father...is bigger than any man, building, situation. He is the supreme ruler of the heavens and the earth. Keep your trust resolutely in him, allow his guidance.
I will pray for you and your family at this time of transition. I will pray the peace of the father to be on your hearts and minds. I will, most of all, pray that the pain caused by this severance of community will not cause insurmountable shaking of foundations.
dear anonymous, I don't know you but you clearly know me.
ReplyDeletethank you for your comment. It's moved me deeply.
I'm in floods of tears from coming upstairs having prayed with three children (I got an extra special one staying tonight!) on and around the topic of how great Father God is and how he is holding us all so close. (dont worry, I wasn't in meltdown in front of them).
The past three years have not been a mistake and something far bigger than my wee situation is at stake. God wants to move in this nation and bring people to himself. He wants to mend broken churches to make it reflect him so much more. That's all good stuff! With all that I am I give myself to whatever means and say "work in me, Lord".
I've to love like I've never loved before, forgive as if my life depended on it, allow hope for the future light my path and stand strong on God's promises.
The following verses were given to us. They are more than comforting:
Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup. you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. Surely I have a delightful inheritance!
Psalm 16:5-6