He knows what he's doing

It's amazing how many coincidences happen in a life lived for God; it's almost as if someone's taking an interest and arranging things.
I'm not saying that everything happens smoothly and there are no problems as we live in a broken world, but from time to time you do get a glimpse behind the curtain. It's not always life-changing (though it could be, if not for you then for someone else) but it is exciting.

I was encouraged to find a Christian organisation in Paarl (a town about ten miles from where I'm living in South Africa) which is involved in peace and reconciliation work and community development. This will be a place to which I can bring my experience with BRiCC in Jos, I thought. It wasn't an issue when the CEO asked to rearrange our meeting from Friday afternoon to Tuesday but then I got a glimpse of the reason when I was asked to join a meeting on Friday afternoon for students at Hugenote College who are interested in forming (we haven't got a name for it yet but something like) a Christian support/discussion group. 

A mixture of male and female, theology and social worker students came. The ease with which we agreed a time to meet regularly truly showed God's hand was in the venture and the topics they've suggested as subjects for discussion sound as if we'll have a very interesting time together.

This came at a good time for me as yesterday I was having one of my periodic attacks of the "ought-to s".  I'm sure you're familiar with them. "I ought to be able to do this; I ought to go to that meeting; I ought to spend my time doing what I don't particularly feel I want to or should be doing merely because I'm able to and it's in a good cause." 

God gives us skills and he gives us talents.  The vital thing is to offer them back to him and listen to his direction in how to fulfil them. Surprisingly to some, God doesn't want us to live miserable lives doing tasks that we're not suited for.  What parent wants to see their child as an unhappily round peg in a square hole?  However, there's always the poisonous whisper of the ought-to.  I'm learning to recognise it for what it is, an enemy.  Don't be lazy, but don't miss the best because you're fretting over the good that you "ought to" be doing. As Jesus said, he came so we can have life and have it to the full (John 10:10).  It's a wonderfully freeing feeling.

There's always hope when people want to talk about the important things in life - forgiveness, trust, purpose, calling, faith.  Too often it's too painful or difficult to bring up subjects that dig beneath the surface of the everyday.  God gave us all brains.  We all have the potential for independent thought but too many people neglect this gift and unthinkingly follow whatever they're told because it's easier.  Thank God for the difficult subjects.  Thank God that when we ask he helps us find the answers, even if they're not what we're expecting or particularly wanting.