involved

We were praying for one of the men here when we had a time of prayer on Tuesday morning. Today he's in the hospital.

Almost as if the Lord himself invites us to be John the Baptist figures through our praying: preparing the way for the Lord to do his work.

It's felt like that. Not so much surprise, as though our prayers had simply not been heard at all: but more a sense of our being given notice in advance that this man would be needing God's great healing hand upon his life.

The Lord does nothing without revealing it first to his servants the prophets. That's how the text of Amos goes (or something like that - I'm quoting it from memory: Amos 3.7, I'm pretty sure).

He involves us in the work he's going to do. Intimates his purposes before he starts to bring them all to pass. Lets us be a part of it.

It's really quite a privilege when you stop and think on it.

That's how it's been at the school, of course. His gentle intimation back in June. And now, as each week passes by, it seems as if there's always that bit more which he is purposing to do.

I was in at the school again today. A brief and hurried 'H & G' to the teachers at their break. Then on across to the nursery for the children's nativity there.

They're doing it every day this week, I think. A brief ten minute singing with the drama of the birth of Jesus acted out by different pre-school children every day. And a select group of parents to watch.

I think I was one of five today and each of them thrilled with their child. No wonder! The children were just brilliant. Enjoying every moment of the thing and entering into everything with enthusiastic joy.

And it crossed my mind again how much they learn through singing and through their acting out the part. Their getting on the inside of the story and being part of it themselves.

And somehow what we do with all the children at an early stage of life, we have to learn to replicate again in adult life. Get them into the story. Help them feel the thrill of being a part of it.

Not just mere spectators. But participants. Involved.

It's striking the way the Lord just draws folk in and almost while they're not aware of it at all involves them in the story of his work.

The doctors and nurses were over for lunch again today. I had some time with Liz, the Practice Manager. Chatting through the service that there'd been and talking through the issue of a fee.

A fee?! I think she found it hard to figure out just why I was so adamant there was no fee at all. I insisted on that. It's a huge, big, genuine privilege to share with folk in times of grief like that. And I said if they as a family had found any sort of comfort from it all then that was more than recompense so far as I'm concerned.

But Liz can be insistent, too! And so I said why not use one of these 'alternative gifts'. The sort of gift whereby the gift could be directed to myself in name, but actually be received, enjoyed and used by someone else in greater need.

I think she liked the notion. It's a great idea! And I went round later on to give a note to her of where such gifts are accessed on the internet. I said to let me know just what it was that she was going to do - and I'd add on an extra bit myself. A token of my own respects, as it were.

There was also a chance to chat with one of the nurses. I need my ears syringed again, so I fixed up an appointment and in chatting on a bit with her it seems her sister's married to a good friend of my brother.

"Is your brother a missionary?" she asked. Which rather threw me, since I don't really think of him quite like that. "Well, yes," I said, "I suppose he is: we're all of us missionaries if you put it in those terms!" I meant all of us here and all of us following Christ.

And it seemed to me again how good the Lord has always been in making these 'connections': all sorts of little lines that draw folk gently in to share the life his people live and find in time the source of all that life in simply knowing Jesus for themselves.

So another good day! And the evening was good as well. A meeting of The Hub, the group of local leaders here who're trying to figure out the way ahead.

One of the things we're conscious of is the need to ensure involvement on the part of all the people here. Like the children in the nursery's brief nativity.

Involved. Inside the story and part of it.