More and more I am learning that my faith is a very practical one. I do not have the gift or prophesy, or speaking in tongues. I am too forgetful to pray with any consistency. I am not a theologist, nor blessed in apologetics. I am not a preacher, or an evangelist. I am not a youth leader or a children's worker.More and more I realise that God is asking me to show my faith by just getting on with life. Just doing what I'm doing.
If you want to give this a label then my gift is partly 'hospitality'. This isn't just baking, or cooking. It isn't having people over for dinner. It's listening to someone when they really need it, it's offering my computer to the person who needs to send a job application form, its allowing my brother in law to come over, make his own coffee and eat my leftover desserts. It's doing coffee after Church when fewer people than ought to say thank you, or allowing one person to eat at least 1/6th of the cakes I spent time and effort baking without getting angry. It is even more than this too.
The other part of my faith is just getting on with it. It's being a wife to James, loving him, making his lunch, ironing his shirts, saying a kind to word to him when he's upset. It's about listening to my husband when he offers me advice, comforts me and even when he tells me no!
It's also about me being right where God wants me to be right now. Training to be a teacher. Going to lectures, writing my assignments and doing my best. It's about trusting that God will find me a job. The right job.
I've been at Carotty Wood this weekend with Connexions, the 14-18 yr olds Youth Group at Church. I was cooking for 50+ people with my dream team of Rach and Janette (thanks girls we rocked!) When I wasn't in the kitchen, sleeping, or writing my essay I spent time in the group meetings. The theme was Gladiators! On Saturday night Steve spoke about Philip. He finished his talk with clips from Cool Runnings (best film!). His message from the film was this:
‘A gold medal is a wonderful thing, but if you are not good enough without it, you are not going to be good enough with it.’
You can substitute Gold Medal for any other thing you covet, or desire.
Steve was saying (and please correct me someone if I've got this wrong) that with God we are good enough. We don't need anything else. What we do need to do, like Philip, is listen to God and do what He asks us to do. We shouldn't put him off. We shouldn't say to God I'll do that: 'When I have a job...'. 'When I'm older...' 'When I have a house...'
I sat thinking after Steve's talk and it dawned on me: James and I answered God's call over a year and half ago. We followed a path He laid out for us. James is now in the Police and I am training to teach. We don't have great wealth, or possessions but we're comfortable and in our own home. Greater than that we have the Love of God. We have the assurance of His presence and the comfort of His grace. He has the power to take it all away, and I pray that He doesn't. Right now, at the start of 2009 James and I are walking God's path. The going isn't always going to be easy but if we keep checking we're going the right way then the destination will be immense.
Hannah x
p.s. For more on the lessons in Cool Runnings look here: http://coolrunningslive.com/index.php/lessons-from-cool-runnings
2 comments:
*FRIENDS FLASHBACK*
"Hey, you in the back, you're doing it all wrong"
"Yeah, but at least I'm doing it!"
Sometimes it matters to just do it, whether you get it wrong or - as we do, try every day to get it right. At the end of what we try to know is the fact that we know very little and all we can do it live it and love it, every day of the week.
It's hard, but it's worth it.
Rock on, babe. (And come and play soon, we miss you).
That's so awesome to read, Hannah. Thank you!
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