How thirsty are you?

Every now and then a phrase from a book jumps out at me and makes a deep impression in my mind.  I've just started reading a book by Randy Clark called "God Can Use Little Ole Me," which is subtitled "Remarkable Stories of Ordinary Christians."  It's a book which highlights the wonderful truth that ordinary people can be used in extraordinary ways when they place their lives into God's hands and find their strength in him.  The book tells the stories of a number of people (including Randy Clark himself) for whom this has proved to be the case.

In the first chapter, Randy Clark relates a statement which had been made to him:

"We have as much of God as we want."

Initially, Clark didn't like the statement.  However, he writes, "The more I thought about it, the more I realised he was right.  It is one thing to have only a slight desire for God, and quite another to be so thirsty for him that nothing is more important than getting filled ... Realising we are dry is not the same as being filled.  God fills us according to our thirst.  The thirstier we are when we come to him, the more he fills us.  How thirsty are you?"

How thirsty are you?  Isn't that such a challenging question?  And the thought that God gives us as much of himself as we desire is equally challenging.  Am I really desperate for more of God, or am I content with the occasional experience of God, on my terms and when I feel the need?

There is a passage from John's gospel which has been in my thoughts for some time; words spoken by Jesus:

'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them' (John 7:37&38).

The only qualification for receiving from Jesus is that we have a spiritual thirst and we draw close to him!  And as we drink of that life-giving water of the Spirit, we we are in turn able to bless others.

So the question I continue to wrestle with is, how thirsty am I?  Is pursuing God my  greatest desire, or do I put other things first?  I just can't get the thought out of my mind: 

"We have as much of God as we want."

Influence & consequences

Back in the late 1970s a Methodist Deaconess, who was living in the East Yorkshire village of Ottringham, was asked by a girl who was living in the same village whether she would be prepared to host a meeting for young people who were connected to some of the local village Methodist churches.  The idea was that the young people concerned could meet together and discuss matters of mutual interest.  The Deaconess ('Sister Gwen' as she was then known) agreed that the young people could meet in her home as long as she didn't need to get involved other than make the teas and coffees etc.

Several teenagers gathered for the first meeting.  When Gwen took in the refreshments, she discovered that the topic of conversation was euthanasia.  This so intrigued her that she stopped to listen and take part in the discussion.  By doing so she became 'hooked' and began to take part in future meetings, seeking to offer helpful insights and advice to the young people, and helped them to see how the Christian faith related to various topics under discussion.  

The group really began to gel; the youngsters formed a close bond, and developed in their Christian faith to such an extent that they formed a 'mission band' named the Ambassadors.  As a group they took services in a number of the local Methodist churches.  For many of them, this was a first step in any form of public speaking or worship leading.

This snippet of history is particularly relevant to me and Sue, because we were members of that youth group, and being invited to be part of that group was how we first met.  Sue lived in the same village (Ottringham), and I lived in the next village along the A1033 towards Hull.  The chances are that if the group had not been formed, Sue and I would never have met.  In due course I fell in love and eventually (after much effort on my part!) persuaded Sue to marry me.  Some 38 and a half years later, Sue and I have been blessed with 3 fantastic children and 4 amazing grandchildren (not to mention a wonderful son and daughter-in-law), and we are still very much in love.

In one sense we owe it all to Gwen.  If she hadn't been prepared to open her home to a disparate group of teenagers, all that Sue and I have shared together would probably never have happened.  We also owe so much to Gwen through the love, care, support and nurture which she offered to us all.  We really did grow in faith in so many ways, and a number of the group are today still involved in Christian ministry of various sorts.  We had the privilege of having Gwen to stay with us this weekend, and as we chatted all sorts of memories came flooding back, as the intervening years rolled away!

The weekend not only brought back some great memories, but also reminded me how important one decision can be.  The consequences of Gwen being willing to open her home were immense, and Sue and I can never fully express the gratitude we feel.  Not only that, but the influence which Gwen had on the lives of those of us who were part of the group, during our formative years, is impossible to gauge.

Every decision we make has consequences of some kind or another.  To be generous and open-hearted can make such a difference.  And whether we like it or not, our lives do influence others, for good or evil.  I thank God for Gwen and the part she has played in our lives.  And I pray that God will help me to be as generous and open-hearted as she was, to make good decisions, and to be a positive influence in the lives of other people.

 

How can I say thanks?

What an unforgettable week I’ve just had!  But before I explain, let me take you back around 17 months to April last year, when I received the shocking news that my younger brother, Phil, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer of the oesophagus, and given very few months to live.  All the doctors could offer was palliative care, with no hope of a cure.  Naturally it was devastating news for Phil’s immediate and wider family, and also for his many friends.  What made it even worse for his family in the UK was that Phil lives in New Zealand, where he is National Director of Church Army.

Though much prayer was mobilised for Phil, his condition deteriorated over time, and for several months he was only able to feed through a tube.  Things got so bad that Phil felt that his earthly life was drawing to a close.  Then, remarkably, things began to change for the better, until there came a time when he could eat normally again.  Although Phil isn’t yet cancer free, his health has improved to such an extent that he and his family were able to spend three weeks touring Europe, culminating in a trip to the UK.

Last Saturday we hosted a large gathering at our home, when family members gathered to meet up with Phil, his wife Monika, and their children Mike and Emily.  It was a glorious occasion, and we even managed to have a Barbeque before the rains came and sent us scuttling indoors! 

Monika and Mike had to head back to New Zealand the following day, and Emily travelled up to Liverpool to meet up with friends.  Phil spoke at our Sunday morning service, sharing his testimony of God’s faithfulness over the past year and a half, and some of the lessons he had learned through the period.  Many people were moved by what Phil shared with us.

Then Phil and I, along with my wife Sue (and we were later joined by Emily) were able to spend a couple of days in Scarborough.  Scarborough is a place which is very special indeed to me and Phil, not least through our happy memories of several childhood holidays spent there.  We were blessed with some lovely, sunny weather, and had a wonderful time, sampling the atmosphere, enjoying the sunshine, with lots of reminiscing.   

On the way back to Leicester, we called in to see our 93-year-old Mum, who has recently had to go into a nursing home.  She is very frail, and her memory is failing, but we found her in good heart and full of life.  She even clapped her hands in joy to see her two boys together!

Phil and Emily left yesterday to travel back to New Zealand.  Saying goodbye wasn’t easy, but the blessings of the last few days will remain long in the memory.

A few weeks ago I was asked to do a “Desert Island Discs” at one of my churches.  I found it a fascinating experience having to look over my life, and recalling memories from through the years.  It made me realise how blessed I’ve been.  Yes, there have been some really bad times, when I’ve struggled to see the way forward and felt that life was crushing me, but I have so many positive memories to treasure.  I have been blessed with my family and the many friends I’ve made along the way.

It wasn’t easy to select the pieces of music to go with my Desert Island Discs spot, but I decided to choose pieces which had relevance to elements of my life’s journey.  To finish with, I played a song by the late Andre Crouch.  It expresses perfectly the thought that every blessing of my life, and anything I’ve been able to achieve, I owe it all to God (I’ve told Sue that I want it playing at my funeral service!).  You can listen to it here.

How can I say thanks for the things
You have done for me?
Things so undeserved, yet you gave
To prove your love for me.
The voices of a million angels
Could not express my gratitude.
All that I am, and ever hope to be,
I owe it all to thee.

To God be the glory, to God be the glory,
To God be the glory for the things he has done.
With his blood he has saved me,
With his power he has raised me;
To God be the glory for the things he has done.
Just let me live my life and
Let it be pleasing, Lord, to thee;
And if I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary.
With his blood he has saved me,
With his power he has raised me,
To God be the glory for the things he has done.