Hello Everyone
I hope you are all well and have had a good weekend?
I am stepping in again for our Alice as she enjoys a week’s leave and wanted to share with you my last week. It was one of those weeks! Everything, certainly at the beginning of the week, was just doom and gloom. Late on Saturday we had received an email at home about major work that was planned to start on the Monday that brought on the worries. As a result, my wife’s insomnia set in and she wasn’t sleeping at all well. Life at work was just hectic. The adage “over worked and underpaid” seemed to fit well. I was praying but they just didn’t seem to be getting out. I felt hemmed in and isolated.
The week did improve. Unexpectedly two small acts of kindness (at work) lifted my spirits and the workload had eased, and then on the Friday I was reminded of why I do this work. I was involved in running a drugs operation and we came across many young people who were found in possession of drugs. One boy was living with his grandfather as he just didn’t get on with his parents, and I couldn’t understand why that was. Another girl was a classic Child Sexual Exploitation victim. She didn’t want us to tell her mother about the drugs as she would get beaten “black and blue” and also made homeless.
As I reflected and prayed into this at Church yesterday, I was so grateful that we have a Father who loves us and that there is nothing that we can do that would separate us from this love. This week’s scripture then is from Lamentations 3:21-23
“This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never cease, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.”
[ I’ve just realised this is the same as last weeks, just from a different version! Alice’s scripture was so timely!]
God broke my heart for these children a few years ago, (and he continues to!) and this showed me that he knows exactly where I am, and what I am doing.
Our Father also spoke to me in the form of a picture about my prayers. I was given a picture of a gold arrow encrusted with jewels that shot through the gloom and was raised up to heaven. It told me that my prayers had been getting through all along and that they were precious in the sight of our Father. I hope that this encourages you in your prayer life this week. 🙂
Can I ask you to pray
- For our Alice as she enjoys her “summer holidays.”
- For Oliver, following the sad passing of his father a few weeks ago.
- For all those who don’t know the love of the Father.
- For the planning work that continues behind the scenes for Surrey Police’ first Carol Service. We have received such favour in this. I do hope you will join us on the evening. [ Monday 12th December 2016, 7.30 for 8pm, St. Saviours Church, Guildford.]
- Thanks for the success of the Annual Celebration of Christianity in the Police Service
I pray that you are blessing to those around you this week, even if you don’t feel like you are.
Have a good week.
Simon
