Taking it up for Lent 2

Well that was an interesting week!

Last week you may recall I decided to spend Lent de-cluttering
Physically
Emotionally
Spiritually.

If you missed it,
you can read about it here
http://karensandford.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/taking-up-not-giving-up-for-lent.html

I have been
reading
thinking
praying.

Walking
running
playing.

I've taken warm baths;
mooched by the sea;
and spent 5 hours de-cluttering...

wait for it...

1 corner!

ONE CORNER!

Anyway.
I have also worked during that time
And been involved in ministry of one kind or another.

And on the whole it's been a good week.

I've heard God.

And enjoyed spending time with him.

On Wednesdays I do Parent & Toddlers.

After crawling through traffic at some ungodly hour,
then dropping Chris at the station;
I was on my way to the hall this morning
when I realised I couldn't do it.

I had nothing to offer.

Nothing to give.

Nothing.

We have a good team for Parent & Tots at Penge.
In many ways they don't need me.
And I needed a moment.

So I detoured for coffee
And porridge
And time.

I hid
worked
in the office for a while when I got there

But when I emerged
(for coffee again)
I saw one of the Mums was struggling.

She had suffered multiple bereavements a few years ago.
She knew I had too.

So we talked.

And she cried.

We spoke of the sustaining power of God.
We remembered that the valley of the shadow of death
can be long at times,
but we need fear no evil because God is there.

And we prayed.
In the middle of the clamor of little people,
we asked for God's Holy Spirit to fill her
with his strength,
his grace,
his comfort,
his peace.

She described me as one of the tokens of grace
that God had promised her in her grief,

But she was that for me too.
She understood.
No explanation required.

We ministered to each other as kindred spirits
united by shared experiences.

"And thanks be to God that He always...

Always...

ALWAYS leads us in triumphal procession.

And through us,

THROUGH US!

spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
(2 Corinthians 2:14)

In spite of everything.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

20 years of ministry

I hadn't realised it myself. I'm not very good with dates, and years, and anniversaries. But yesterday my Facebook Timeline was full of it. It's 20 years since we were commissioned and ordained. 28th May 1993 at The Royal Albert Hall, London. As I listened to 'Our Songs' The ones written for us, and for the occasion I became a bit nostalgic. As I looked at the video And saw my friends and colleagues I almost felt a pang of grief For the people we were The things we shared. But this is a letter to the 25 yr old girl I was then From the woman I am now "You made it! By the skin of your teeth at times but you got there in the end. And this ending Full of brass, and drums, and singing and laughter and drama and dance is just the beginning. In the years ahead you will know joy Real joy Laughing so hard no sound comes out. Friendships that are only in their infancy here Will become your anchor in the days ahead. And people that
Read more

Five Minute Friday: Song

Image
It's our Silver Wedding Anniversary on Tuesday. 25 years. I told someone the other day and she gasped, and said, "You don't look old enough" Which is absolutely the right response. We're having a few friends over next Friday night to celebrate. There will be food And dancing And fun And song. 'Our song' to be precise. As we met in the 80's, Our song is 'Solid' (Ashford and Simpson). It's the song we used to dance to at parties. It's the song that made us laugh. It's the song we always talk about when reminiscing. Our 25 years together hasn't been perfect You won't be surprised to hear that. There has been much joyful song. But sometimes the notes have turned dischordant. Sometimes we've sung in a minor key. More recently we have sung songs of lament. But to mis-quote Gloria Gaynor We have survived. We're still standing (Elton John) And we're still singing from the same hymn
Read more

Five Minute Friday: Friend

Five minute Friday. Write. Don't check, or edit, just write for the pure love of it. The prompt is FRIEND I had a card from a friend today. We started as colleagues. Our paths crossed a few times. But over the past year she has become a friend. And as a friend She knew what this weekend meant for us. She remembered. She acted. But friends are all different aren't they? Over the past 12 months our friends have been: Some practical Some ever-present Some prayerful Some encouraging Some business as usual Some helpless Some distant And sadly, some very noticeable by their absence. I don't blame them It's not been easy to be our friend this year. But I thank God for all of them And pray that the absent ones are not gone forever. I'm also challenged. "If you want a friend, be a friend" The saying goes. I pray my friends will always know where to come. And if not, that I'll meet them where they are. And when I fail as a f
Read more