tapestry

My life is like a tapestry. And today's been a good illustration of what I mean.

Here it is in brief.

Preparing the halls. Our beadle's off work at the present, so we all get involved in doing what needs to be done. There are tables to be shifted and a floor to be swept. I get the basics done and I'll wait for further instructions 'til the girls come in.

Admin. There are a load of e-mails which have come in overnight. I start to catch up on them. Not just a case of replying, but sometimes one thing leads to another and it all takes time! First thing in the morning, before anyone else is in, is usually a good time to get these things all done.

Prayer. Before I know it, it's 9.40am and our regular 'prayer time'. There's only Kathleen around, but others elsewhere will be joining us too. It's good to have this time and to be able to commit the day to the Lord. Yesterday was a great first day back for the Reception Area. We pray today will be the same.

Setting out the hall. Kathleen advises me how she'd like the hall set out for lunch. There are a few tables to be brought across from the other hall, so I get stuck into that.

A visitor. I'm barely started setting out the hall when in comes a guy who pastors a church in Amsterdam. His father's one of the elders here and has been in hospital for surgery. So John's across for a couople of days to see his Dad.

Coffee. Any excuse will do! But it's not every day that John's around. So it's good to be able to start to catch up on his news. He's been there in Amsterdam about the time that I've been here. It's great to compare notes. He's always really encouraging.

More coffee. Nigel comes in with Craig, his youngest son. He joins the party. Which soon expands yet more as John's Mum and Dad come in - they've been at the doctor's across the lane.

School. Nigel and Ailsa, along with their three boys, are here in their summer holidays - all the way from New Zealand, where they went in response to the call of God some three years back. This is the first time they've all been back since then and the boys have been keen to go back to school. See their old friends.

So I'd said I'd take Craig round to the primary school. Ailsa's involved with the young women here this morning and Nigel's committed elsewhere. Craig and I walk round to the school. He's a lovely lad - like his brothers, always polite, but, equally, full of chat. He's looking forward, I think, to seeing his friends again.

His friends at the school are over the moon to see him back again. There's instant recognition and they slot in with each other right away. I do the introductions with the teachers, some of whom don't know the family. Then I leave him to it. Ailsa should be back round to the school later on to pick him up. I take the risk she'll remember and leave Craig there.

Visitor. One of the leaders here had rung first thing to ask if he could pop in and see me about a number of things. He heads up one of our Ministry Areas and it's always good to be able to touch base with him from time to time.

So I'm not long back before he's at the door. He's a busy man, so he's got his list of things he needs to chat about.

I find it great the way such folk as him, despite their busy lives, are glad to give themselves so fully to so many different matters where their wisdom and their energies can count.

It helps to talk things through, to get things clear, to be able to see things progressed. I find in the midst of a busy day that folk like that are always a real encouragement.

Lunch follows. It's a snatched and rather hasty lunch, but shared with others round the table as we talk through different issues which are pressing at this time.

There's a sense of our being involved in something big. Something that God is doing in our midst. It's not always easy and sometimes the pressure of time comes rushing in. But I wouldn't miss this for anything.

A meeting. Well, it's more a one-to-one sort of meeting. With another of the leaders. Arranged in advance, this one. It lasts slightly longer than I'd anticipated, but the time isn't wasted at all. We chat through a range of important matters which help us see the way ahead together.

We pray for each other, as well as for all of the work going on in this place, before we part.

Visiting. In the course of my meeting with him, I've learned of a sorrow a lady has known in the past few months. I decide to go now and to see her. It's strange - her name has been before me more than once these last two days, and now this leader that I've spoken with has mentioned her again and said perhaps a visit would be welcome.

I've learned to take such promptings as the leading of the Lord. And I've learned not to think of postponing a visit to some other time. It's like the Lord means now is the time to go.

I go.

She seems to value the fact I've called on her and values the chance to talk. There's sorrow, all right. Deep and profound and sore. She finds it hard to pray. Her neice had died. A lovely young woman in her forties. With two young girls.

They were very close, this lady and her neice. They spoke every week on the phone, despite this neice being half way round the world out in New Zealand. The void that there is since she died is desperately deep and dark.

So we chat for a while and I pray with her too. She's not been able to pray herself, so sore is the depth of her grief. God knows that better than any. And surely understands.

The shops. I call by the shop on my way back home. There are things to be bought for the tea. But because the shop is local, too, there are people I meet there as well. The shopping includes some chat. Snippets of conversation which are useful and help build relationship.

Kirkliston. It's off out at night to a meeting in what is now my 'other' church. The group who're tasked to look for the person whom God is raising up as their next minister - that group is meeting tonight.

I don't really have to be there, I suppose. Not technically, anyway, I think. But I want to be there to support and encourage. And to offer what guidance I can.

I'm not allowed to prejudice or influence their thinking in terms of the people they're now considering. But I can help to sharpen that thinking. I can help them to see it in context.

It's a good meeting. A bit longer than I had thought it would be. But good nonetheless.

They're super folk and they end with a time of prayer. It's uplifting to hear how many take their turn in praying out loud. I'd thought it might be only one or maybe two. But, no, they're almost queuing up!

I can't help but think that the Lord means really to bless this people in coming days. it's a good way to end the day.

Well, almost. There are one or two things that I have to do when I get back to the halls. Which includes locking up and closing things down for another day.

Another good day in the kingdom of God. They're none of them quite alike. None that I could ever speak as being a 'typical' sort of day.

God doesn't do the 'typical' at all.