The one with the toilet queue

Last week I met up with two very good friends whom I hadn't seen in a while.  The sun joined us as we walked around Christchurch to find a good coffee shop to sit and catch up properly in.  Christchurch is lovely, but it doesn't have a Starbucks!  So, after much deliberation, we decided to enter Neros, as at least they serve Chai Tea Latte.  The three of us chatted merrily, filling each other in on several month's worth of life.  Much needed and thoroughly enjoyed - thank you ladies!

Following much sipping and chatting I could no longer ignore nature's call to pay the 'ladies room' a visit.  So I made my way upstairs to the balcony and joined the queue for the toilet, and there I waited for a very long time!!  A long queue?  Surprisingly, no!  When I got there an older couple were discussing the toilets,  and as I sat down on a leather chair to wait, I overheard the lady telling her husband that the lady's room was obviously out of order, as it had been locked for a very long time.  I continued to sit patiently, albeit slightly frustrated, as I was missing out on important conversational time.  After a while, one of the toilets became free and the queue decreased by one.  Again, I waited, and just as the toilet door opened, another lady joined the queue (actually - she pushed in front of me!)
Not wanting to miss my slot - I jumped up and casually told her that only one toilet was available as the other one was locked and obviously out of order.  To my surprise, the lady responded with a firm 'well, we shall see about that' and walked over to the toilet door.  Well, guess what?  It wasn't locked at all!  It was just a little difficult to open!  I had been waiting ages for nothing - all because I overheard something in someone's conversation!

Yes, I felt silly.  I felt a little embarrassed.  I also felt cheated!  I could have been downstairs with my friends instead of waiting on the balcony.  And yet, I really had no one else to blame but myself.  I had overheard that the toilet must be out of order, and hadn't thought to check for myself.  Would you have done the same?

When I finally rejoined my friends, I told them of my mistake, and as I did, I began to wonder whether I fall prey to the same mistake in other areas of life.  How often have I simply taken someone else's word for something and not thought to check or work it out for myself?  Sadly, the answer is far too often!

Maybe I am not the only one?  As a child, negative words from teachers, or responsible adults, may have stopped you believing you can do something.  When a Careers Adviser told me that I wouldn't get into teaching, I believed her.  I had no reason not to, she was the expert after all.  Disheartened, I chose a different college course and considered an alternative career path. As it happened, my college tutor saw something different in me and encouraged me to apply for a teaching degree.  Had I not been encouraged to rethink my abilities, I would never have thought it possible that I would be accepted to study teaching.  The words of the Careers Adviser several years earlier had stuck in my mind and I absolutely believed them.

You can't achieve those grades

You can't win that race

You wont succeed in that career

You will never get married
You can't do that because you are too young
You can't do that because you are a women (yes, I went there!)

God will never use you

You are not good enough to be a Christian

Perhaps you have had something similar spoken to you, that you just accepted?  If it is something you really want, can I encourage you to check it out for yourself.  You do not need to believe everything that has ever been said about you.  Sometimes other people do not get it right and do not know best.


Let's look at it another way.  What if you had been told that chocolate tasted horrible when you were younger, and took their word for it, and therefore never tried any.  Can you imagine what you would be missing out on?!!  We all know that wouldn't really happen though!  It would be crazy to accept someone else's opinion on the taste of chocolate, right?  We are smart enough to try it for ourselves and reserve judgement until then?


And yet, many accept other peoples opinions on something far more important and life changing than chocolate.  I did when I was younger.  I was told God wasn't real and I believed it.  That is, until something happened that nudged me to work it out for myself.  And when I did, I realised how foolish I had been to accept someone else's opinion on the reality of God. I am not saying that everything became clear straight away, but I started on a journey to discover God for myself.  Maybe one day I will share that journey here.

In the Psalms we are told to 'Taste and see that the Lord is good' (34:8).  Just as with the taste of chocolate, we can never gain a realistic and true understanding of God unless we find out for ourselves.  It is something far too important to merely accept the words of other people.  We have to 'taste' and 'see' for ourselves.  In all honesty, I was a little afraid when I began to 'taste' God for myself - but now, over twenty years later I know it was the bravest, and the most awesome life-changing thing I have ever done.  I really did 'taste and see that the LORD IS GOOD'.

If you are still living under the shadow of other peoples' words and opinions, whether it's regarding your abilities, character, options, or, more importantly, regarding the reality and goodness of God - please can I encourage you to begin to work it out for yourself. Your life is too important not to.

Don't wait pointlessly in the queue like I did at Neros -  Get up, walk to the door and check it out for yourself!  You could be missing out on something amazing if you don't.

The one where God shows up

Having just come back from an amazing weekend away at the Youthwork Conference in Eastbourne - my head and heart are full of thoughts that I could share with you.   It was inspirational, encouraging, challenging - and even a little bit uncomfortable at times.  It reminded me how important it is for us all to take some time out of the ordinary - and place ourselves in an environment where we can slow down and listen to what it is God might be saying to us. Easier said than done though with today's pace of life!

So, what did I come away with that is worth sharing with you?  What pearls of wisdom did I hear that could be conveyed to you?  What experiences could I share with you to encourage you and remind you that Jesus is alive and with us?  Or, which funny story could be shared to make you smile and see the funny side of life?  (And boy do I have a good one!!)  The options seem endless!

To be honest, I am still quietly sifting through a lot of the things I heard and experienced whilst there.  Does that ever happen to you?  You come away from a conference, or service,  with so much - that you are not sure exactly what to do with it!  It is almost overwhelming.  This his how I felt on my return to Basingstoke yesterday.  I came back feeling spiritually full with my battery fully charged  -ready and willing to go for it - to inspire, challenge, teach, give, make a difference!  The only problem was though, and still is to some extent, I had no idea which direction to face before setting off!  I came back knowing I had been challenged and ready to respond in my day to day life - but how?  where? who with? I had no idea!  I guess as I continue to process and pray through these things it will all become a lot clearer to me?  I will keep you informed :)

So, all that said - was there anything that I came away with that I can encourage you with?  Yup, for sure ...

During the weekend, one question in particular was asked that is still going around in my mind today.  It has totally challenged me, and I hope, will begin to transform the way I think and act.  The context this question was asked in was in a discussion about what success looks like in youth ministry.  However, this is such a key question - and is by no means confined to youth ministry.  Are you ready to be challenged?

The question ...

What would happen in your ministry  [life, work, conversations, etc]  if God showed up?

 .... and you tuned in?

Now, although this question presented itself in two parts,  it is really only one question.  What would happen if God showed up?  I believe there is no need for the 'if' - because God does show up!  He is omnipresent, he is everywhere!  Quite simply there is no 'if' about it. 

We need to believe that God will be with us.  We need to believe that God will be there as we step out and work for him.  We need to believe God will be there when we talk to our friends.  God will show up.  In fact - he already has!

David contemplates this in Psalm 139, when he asks ...

Where can I go from your Spirit?   Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there;  if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 

God is always there.

So the part of the question that really matters is  ... 'and you tuned in?'

This really challenged me.  I totally believe God is there - when I run Take Off on Fridays or Lavish on Mondays.  I absolutely believe that God is there with me when I speak to friends about him, or lead a prayer time.  I really do.  But do I always respond accordingly and tune in?   Ouch.  In all honesty - no I don't.

Sadly, it is all too easy to believe that God is always with us without really stopping to tune in to him to see where he is leading, or what he is saying.  We can plan our meetings and work out what to say, without really giving God a chance.  We often rely far too much on our own strength and ideas instead of tuning into God and allowing him to work effectively through us.

It is like listening to an un-tuned radio.  It sounds crackly and distorted and cannot be corrected simply by turning the volume up.  It needs to be finely tuned.  Only then will the music, or programme (that has always been there) come through clearly and as it should.

We really do need to do more than acknowledge God's existence.  We need to ask ourselves what difference this means to us and the things that we do.  We need to take time to tune in and ask God what he wants us to be saying and doing.   Let's face it - he can do it far better than we can anyway!

If we truly believe that God will turn up and stop to tune in to him - what a difference this will make!  We can live and work with a new confidence and boldness that comes through knowing God is with us. 

Now to put this into practice ....