meetings

Talk about 'meetings'!

Which I was yesterday.

My day today seemed to illustrate the point. Not 'meetings' as such (which often are lacking in any real meeting of minds and of hearts at all), but meeting with people and having the chance to chat and share.

We met for prayer, of course. The 9.40-42am thing. The soups were both already on, long since, by then, and the doors were locked ('Peter sent them all out of the room' after all) and for just those few moments we stopped and we joined in prayer.

Meeting like that is great. Short but very sweet. And who knows how important and effective in all that God is purposing to do.

Later I was meeting up with Douglas over lunch. Always a good and refreshing chance to pause and talk and toss things round (thoughts and ideas, I mean, rather than plates or food!).

But before I got seated, I'd met another couple who had just popped in for lunch. New to the district and checking things out - doctors, dentists, that sort of thing. They'd seen the place was open so they'd come right in and liked the lunch and ... well, maybe their being there was just a part of prayer being answered.

It's great when things work out like that. I ended up having really quite a long chat. And I guess it helps folk feel a little bit at home when things are, otherwise, all strange and new.

Then in walked my sister as well! I hadn't expected to see her or meet her today, so that was a lovely surprise. And she joined us for lunch. Another chance encounter. Another bit of meeting up with people.

And the day went on like that as well. Calling on folk in their homes in the afternoon. Planned visits, but nonetheless meeting with people, enjoying the time with them. And sensing in all such times that we're meeting not just with one another but with God himself as well. He's there too.

And in between such visits to the homes of different folk I'd meet with other people on the street. Entirely chance encounters, but all sorts of different people and who knows how much these fleeting little moments where we genuinely meet will mean, nor what they will effect.

For instance. I was in very briefly to see the family where the 5 year old boy (well, he's coming on 6, I suppose) is being baptised this coming Sunday morning. And on the way in, then on the way out, I had the chance to meet and chat with the guy who is their neighbour.

We've known his wife and daughter for a while (mainly through the Reception Area and latterly through the Holiday Club).

The girl so loved the place and so much enjoyed the Holiday Club she almost sort of dragged her parents along to Sunday worship. Usually the Dad, but sometimes her Mum instead.

So here was the chance to chat with her Dad. And we chatted a bit about Sunday morning's service. And I think he hopes they'll all be there.

Another tiny little bit of an encounter with the Lord perhaps, which slowly forms a picture in his heart of this God being for real. Who knows.

I love days like this, where I'm meeting with folk all the time. And half of the time unplanned.

It was the same at night.

I had gone up town for a 'meeting' (the sort that's not really meeting, if you see what I mean) and on the way back I got onto the bus and there was another young man I know. It was great to see him again, to sit and to have just the briefest of chances to chat.

It's been like that throughout the day. And running through it all, I realise that what makes my life so rich and such fun, is the fact that I'm meeting, throughout its course, with the Lord.

Like walking up town for that 'meeting' tonight. 45 minutes of genuine meeting with God. Chatting things through with him. Hearing what he has to say.

That's going on all the time. I think it's totally brilliant!

It's just 'meetings' themselves that I have these issue about!