And we know that God causes all things to work together for good…..(romans 8:28)
How often have other Christians used these words when times in your life are hard, finances short or relationships in strife? It’s become often used as a spiritual band-aid, allowing people to sound as though they have something important and encouraging to say when friends are struggling with Life, The Universe and, well frankly, Everything! Because this scripture is used so often, we can often forget the Truth and Power that lies within…. and start to get angry when they it’s trotted out when things are getting tougher by well-meaning friends and family. One can even start to question whether these great words actual mean what they say…..
Despite what people do, however, it doesn’t stop the scriptures speaking the truth, even when we believers don’t feel it does. We must remember the second half to that verse:
…..to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Which is where I find myself as I write this update – in my new Starbucks in the City of Dunfermline! As of August 2011 Judith and I relocated to our new home here in the Kingdom of Fife, about 20 miles North of Edinburgh (check out the new address at the bottom of the page). Our new house is everything we could have hoped for and a real and genuine answer to much heartfelt prayer over the last couple of years. It has also been something that so many of you have spoken about, prayed over and prophesised about during this time – a period of struggle, doubt and questioning followed by a move of God in a new direction and as a fulfilment of God’s promises over the years.
And how!!
Selling our old home in 8 weeks and at a decent price, despite the buyers being in a field of one. Finding a new house, perfect to our needs, needing no money spent on it and at an amazing fixed price. Making enough money on the sale to keep our mortgage at its existing level and terms as well as being able to buy a decent 2nd hand car (which hasn’t broken down yet!!) and to be able to spend money on furniture for almost the very first time in our lives. Having money available to clear our daughters financial position when her circumstances changed overnight and she had to move job/home/life in 24 hours. New jobs for both Judith and myself and new openings not just in Fife but amazingly across the region, after a real period of drought in finding work – and much of it is even paid….I have even had an approach from a group of local kids wanting to set up an American Football team in Dunfermline….
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1)
And all this in less than 3 months…..God is so good and His timing is perfect…absolutely….all the time. Let me encourage those of you in your own struggles with God or Life – stick with it, don’t give up on Him and continue in your daily struggle knowing that He will see you through
All of this has come off a fairly lean time – the 2010 rebrand failed to make a new impact amongst the churches and Christian community, and I have found myself increasingly linking with those groups who were willing to work with me in the secular world. These partnerships have been the main building blocks of the work over the last year or so, with regular school access and coaching opportunities across the Lothian’s area. As a direct result I am now working with the Edinburgh Wolves American Football Club as their u-19 Development Officer, fronting up all schools and community work for the club, as well as serving on their committee and helping run their u-17 and u-19 teams as coach, minibus driver and team judge. We are currently working on launching new u-17 teams in other parts of the local area, notably Dunfermline, Livingston and possibly in Galashiels or Bonnyrigg. I am also entering my second year as Offensive Line Coach with the Edinburgh Napier Knights University team.
I also attended the inaugural meeting of the Scottish American Football Youth Forum recently at Stirling University, which aims to bring together the coaches, supporters and teams across Scotland to help develop the sport and improve the level of performance both on and off the field. It’s a really exciting time for the sport with huge opportunities coming in 2012 for young people involved.
All of this seems very impressive on paper, but I count it all as nothing without God’s plan purpose and direction. Everything I do needs to line up with His calling and plan for my life, and there have been long periods of doubt and questioning in this area over the last year or so – the great battle of what it means to walk the Christian life in the real world. Learning to walk the walk, preaching not in words but by actions, approach and love to those that we’ve all been given to work with and take care of. It’s not easy.
I have discovered that becoming a Christian is easy……..living like one is the hard bit. Our lives over the last 18 months have been God showing us the challenge of living in His Kingdom…the impossible challenges of the life of The Christ, the impossible Hope of what His death on the cross gives us and the impossible possibilities involved in the acceptance of His resurrection. My challenge is to now accept what this can mean in the next months and how this knowledge will change not just what I do, but also what I expect God to be able to do!!! To focus on what we have, not on what we don’t and to see God at work instead of looking for excuses and reasons not to drive forward.
To some of you this is old hat – been there, done that – but for those of us who haven’t experienced this revelation before it’s pretty darn exciting. Experiencing the Kingdom by living in the Kingdom (of Fife, for those of you who don’t know) – it’s going to get more and more interesting.
