So I've made some changes to my blog... and it's still a work in progress. It may well take me several weeks to get the profile updated and all the links transfered to my new-look-blog.
Hello to everyone who has just joined me from my old blog.
Apologies for not writing much of late. Since my return from Cape Town life didn't really get less hectic for much of last week and I'll share a little of it now that it's passing...
In church last Sunday, when I was getting prayer ministry (a good thing to do if it's ever offered - don't be shy, you get blessed SO MUCH!) the guy praying for me got the words 'It's not your fault', 'Relax, God is in control' and 'You will be given more understanding into your situation during this week'. Now it's not some kind of spiritual fortune-telling, it's words and ideas direct from God through listening to him in prayer. But I was keen to find out what He was on about...
So the week progressed and a not-so-subtle anti-Caroline attack was launched by someone who doesn't want me to be here, through various people. It's a sure sign, looking back, that I'm on the right track and that's why the attacks are coming. But by Thursday morning I'd had enough and made a decision on a future leaving date so I would have something to work towards.
Then Patches ran away (see separate entry for that story - to follow) and I helped to save the day there. I came back to discover a lot of post that had been building up in the post office and was delighted... and then not so delighted when one letter turned out to be more than quite negative and discouraging. And unfortunately the shock of receiving that pushed me right over the edge and I was ready to quit as soon as possible. Well, to explore other ways of helping out with OVCs (orphans and vulnerable children) in South Africa in any case...
By Friday morning I was in talking to HJ discussing the next day's Quiet Day, and I announced 'If God wants me to stay here He's going to have to put a flipping big burning bush in front of me tomorrow!'
I decided to postpone my final decision until after the weekend, as I was going to several Christian events and would have time to seek God's will on it all. And so it was that I arrived late at the Quiet Day, after a trip to visit my friend in hospital (yet again, another story..) and everyone had started, being quiet that is, and the lady running it gave me the first Bible passage on which to go away in solitude, be silent and meditate...
Exodus 3 - Moses and the Burning Bush ...
So, I took that as confirmation that I shouldn't be moving on just yet and am staying around a bit longer. And amazingly God's healed my hurt from that letter and other nasty and un-called-for outbursts directed at me last week. It's been a bit of a breakthrough weekend actually. I'm feeling renewed and ready to go on.
It's like in the story of Joseph (and his technicolour dreamcoat) when he finally reveals himself to his brothers years down the line and says that what they did was not good, but God meant it for good and turned the situation round so that He would be glorified. And, in a way, although it was horrible, the experiences of last week have made me reassess why I'm here and what I should be focussing on and so on I go...
God is amazing. He transforms even the weirdest circumstances into something good. ;-)
