sand castles

I seem to be talking with folk a lot these days.

Talking, and listening and teasing out all sorts of things we're finding we need to address. And listening through it all to the Lord. Discerning his quiet, gentle voice, as he whispers amidst all the noise.

Jesus once said of himself that "the Son can only do what he sees the father doing." Which is sound advice for us all.

What's Dad doing? Because that's where I want to be.

So our 'listening' for him is really no more than our trying to discern just where he is and what he's at and pinpoint where his voice is coming from.

"I'm over here. This is what I'm doing."

There's been a lot of that today again. Sometimes on my own, to be sure, in patient 'preparation'. But sometimes with others as well.

We're more and more persuaded now the Lord intends to ratchet up a level or two the work that we're involved in through our halls.

He wants to make himself known. He can't help it. He's not one to hide at all. He won't play hard to find. He wants us to know what he's like and actually know him ourselves.

How does that happen?

Because that's where he is. "I'm over here. And this is what I'm doing."

So that's all we really want to do as well. And we're trying our best to figure out just what that's going to mean.

It's exciting. And just a little bit scary as well.

But we're praying along those lines. And expecting great things from the Lord.

It's easy to end up committed to all sorts of things. Busy, busy.

It can look quite impressive. Dedicated followers of Jesus. Doing so much.

But if all of our effort is not being directed to where the Lord's at and what the Lord's doing just now, it's missing the point and really nothing more than building castles in the sand. They can look impressive. But ... well, it's summer, you've been to the beach, you know what happens yourself.

I was through in Glasgow at night. Hence the time of writing - I'm not long back. There were good numbers there. And in some ways the challenge was very much just on those lines.

What is the Lord doing in these days? On a wider front. Through our land. In all that's going on within the church.

What is the Father doing? Because we only want ourselves to be doing that.

So the talking and praying and thinking out loud that went on is all of it part of the process of opening our eyes and seeing what the Lord is now at.

The summer's past. The time for the sand castles is over.