Monday 14 March 2011

Thoughts from Passion...

2 blogs in a week...man I am spoiling you...or it means I have FAR too much time on my hands! Anyway, in case you weren't aware I have the privilege of working for a fantastic organisation called Christians Against Poverty (CAP) and at the beginning of march we had our staff conference so I just wanted to share a couple of things I learnt, experienced and share it with you. I hope it's helpful :)

So first thing I wanted to share was a revelation about the phrase ' Be still and know that I am God'. Its in Psalm 46 and it's a verse that I've often been given alot (particularly by my mum-that's such a blessing) but in some ways I was never entirely sure what it meant. Coming to staff conference is always hard as a centre manager (or for whatever team actually) as you have to leave behind things you know need doing, people that are in desperate in situations who are desperate for attention-who after not phoning them for 1 day think they are no longer cared for .Right at the beginning at the conference, we were brought to a place of stillness and God brought that verse back to mind and I realised for me, for the first time, what it actually meant. In the stillness I can only help but know that He is God...when I am still-the world still carries on, it hasn't fallen apart without me, life is still able to exist and no part of the universe has ceased to function whereas if God ever did that-EVERYTHING would fall apart...that's why He is God. Life will not fall apart if I take time to be still. That's why I can be still and know that He is God-because I know He is sustaining it all, maintaining it all, causing it all to be in existence-NOT ME...

Be still and KNOW that He is God

It brings such a deep contentment and peace...Praise God for that.

The other thing I realised and it's abit of a question...do you realise how blessed you are? We had Andy Flannagan lead our worship (really nice guy, check out his stuff-www.andyflan.com-he didn't pay me to say that) and He lead us in a song called Heaven to Earth and it's all about social justice and seeing God's kingdom come on earth. The first line- 'We are blessed to bless and world in pieces' and that's where my question comes in...do you know how blessed you are? Because if you do not know that you are blessed...then you will not be able to bless a world in pieces-is that fair to say?make sense? I just want to say publicly that over the course of those few days I realised just how blessed I was-I work for a world-class Christian charity, I am surrounded by passionate Christians who want to see the kingdom of God come into our nation, I am privileged to able to call some of them friends (not just in a facebook sense), I can laugh with them, I can be totally myself with them, they'll include me (a little aside to say-CAP people who read this-thanks for being you and allowing me to be me, you're all amazing-and I'm honoured that God has blessed me to have you in my life), I had clothes to wear each day, I had friends from home who were waiting for me to come back because they love me, a family that love me, a house and roof over my head to return home too-food in the fridge and freezer and cupboards to eat, breath in my lungs to be alive each day and on top of all this a relationship with God the Father, Jesus Christ who died and set me free to be with Him in eternity but also life in all its fullness NOW....I am so blessed - how can I not be a blessing?

Are you blessed?

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