Hug…omaniacs – 8 Steps

A hug is such a strange thing. We feel all weird when we see someone heading towards us with those arms out stretched. Sometimes we bob and weave to avoid it. Sometimes we turn and shoulder the hugger so we can minimize the impact. The strange thing is that people enjoy hugs and I think I have worked out why.

A hug expresses a huge amount to those being hugged. It expresses love, concern, and care. It’s a great way of saying; "Don’t worry". It says "I’m here". It says, "All will be ok!". It says, "You are forgiven". It says, "You are important and special". It says that I have seen you, you are noticed. It says it’s ok to cry. It says a big bold hello and is a far bigger hello than a handshake. It says we are together in this.

Whatever the reason for a hug they always seem good. Afterwards we feel good. We feel like a million dollars. You feel like you had a really good cup of coffee. Yet for some reason we don’t see many people hugging. It’s like hugs are reserved for special occasions or for when the family is around. Without hugs we send a message of…. Well none of the above. There is just nothing. I think the world would be a better place if people got more hugs. There are people out there who are hug…less. It’s sad but true. Imagine a life without a hug. Imagine having a childhood without hugs.

I propose we change the world through hugs!

I propose that everyone deserves a hug!

So here is the big hug challenge. If you are not up to it. Well you better stop reading now. This is going to blow your mind and make you a professional Hug…omaniac.

Step 1 Start small. Hug your pillow, dog and cat. Something to practice on. If you survive without being bitten or scratched go to step 2. If not….still go to step 2.

Step 2 Clean up. Pointless being a hugger if you stink, have bad breath, sweat a lot or are generally repulsive. Have a shower and a shave and get ready for the big time. Now for step 3.

Step 3 Time for humans. Try someone close. A family member, husband, wife, children, mother-in-law.

Step 4 Your family is not getting enough hugs, repeat step 3 a few times. Especially for the children. Don’t take no from teenagers. Give them a hug even if they grunt in offense.

Step 5 Time to try a few people who are a bit more unknown. Keep hugging the family but now extend your hugging to those who are not family. Invite some friends for a braai and then hug them. Maybe when you are next at church. Hug them. Heck if you know their name give them a hug. Why? Well, why the not!

Step 6 By now you think you are a pro hugger but the bad news is you still have a way to go before you get really good at this thing called hugging. Now you need to hug a stranger. Yip, that’s what I said, a stranger. Hug someone who you have met for the first time. Give them a big ‘ol squeeze. I bet they will enjoy it and even if they don’t, so what. They deserve it anyway. Give them another hug for good measure. Try the cashier at the store. Try the person getting in a car next to you. Strangers are just friends you have not met yet. So it’s time you met them with a big hug.

Step 7 There will be a bunch of people you won’t have hugged up to now. Let’s call them the unhuggables. They will be people that for some reason you feel they should not get your hug. Well todays your day to deal with that. Maybe it’s someone who made you Angry. Maybe they did something to you. Maybe they are a different race, religion, culture, age, attitude, dress, gender. Maybe they're Boss or someone you feel is too below you. Whatever the reason it’s time you got over it. Give them a hug. Give the car guard a hug. Hug a beggar. Hug a policeman. Hug the petrol attendant. Hug someone from a different political party. Hug your teacher. Hug the person who you have been avoiding.

Step 8 Now repeat it all over and over until it’s the way you are. Be the best hugger. See if you can hug more than 10 people a day. Set yourself goals. Hug 20 a day. Heck, Hug a 100 people in a day. I dare you!

If you have made it through this you have done well. You have said goodbye to your issues with people and have said hello to a life of a hug..omaniac.

Cheers

Happy hugging

Shooting Stars!!!!

Michelle and I were out walking at the crack of dawn and saw several shooting stars….or at least that’s Michelle’s story. I explained that they could easily have been space debris re-entering the atmosphere which was much less glamorous and romantic particularly at five in the morning which suited me fine. After some heated debate I retreated from what could have got worse.

This did however get me thinking about what lessons could be learnt from this situation.

1 Just cos it looks like a star does not mean it is one.
How often in life we see people as famous stars and we want to be the same. Yet behind the glamour and bright shining lights there is debris. Often we hear of drugs, broken families and a life that is far from Gods plan which eventually comes out and the star falls. You can’t fake it as a star forever. Eventually the lights dim and people see what is really going on. Who are the stars in your life?  Remember that they are no perfect and have much to live up to. Give them a break and more importantly pray for them that God works in their lives. If you are a star, maybe you need to be more real with yourself and those watching. God has gifted you with talents for a purpose. Use the talents for his purpose and at the same time get your life back in order with what is actually important.

2 What amazing creation.
It is amazing how creation is so massive that we have barely understood it. As soon as we discover something we also realise there is more hidden behind it. Behind every star is another star and so it continues. God Is not limited by our understanding of what he can or cannot do. He works within and beyond our understanding. He placed the stars to glorify his name and for us to know that he exists.

3 The moon is but a reflection.
The moon as good looking as it is, is just a reflection of true light. The moon is a dead rock. The Sun is alive and full of fire. Look for what you follow in your life to see if it’s the real deal or just a reflection of what is real. In your own life you can reflect God o you can be filled by him to overflowing. Rather than following reflections follow the true light and son of God Jesus.

4 There is always darkness before light dawns.
Sometimes life gets very dark and it seems like the darkness swallows us up and takes everything from us. The good news is that light will prevail. Jesus the Son will rise and the darkness will be no more. When in the darkness we hope for the light. We wait for the red light on the horizon that shows that dawn is near, when we can bask in the warmth he provides. Don’t give up. Hold on. He’s coming.

5 Your whole body needs work.
We are mind, body and soul. All three should be exercised accordingly. Walking and similar fitness routines exercise the body. Reading and studying is a great way to exercise the mind. Worshipping, Praying, Hearing and listening to God exercises the soul. We should focus on all three in some way to get our lives right. Being close to God however is the most important.

6 You need to spend quality time with Family.
You should set time to be with you family as a goal. Spend time with your wife, husband and children. Not just watching TV. Spend some quality time talking, cuddling, eating and playing games. In the busy lives we have we can easily forget the importance of that. Oh, and don’t forget to let them win the argument sometimes.

God Bless. Have a wonderful day.

Greg

 

Life sux without purpose

Picture the scene, a family dinner. Dad shouts for the children to be quiet and tells them how stupid they are. Demands someone bring him a drink and food. The children run riot. Dad screams at Mom to sort out the children. A huge argument ensues. Mom gets mad and tells him to get out. Later they divorce. This all happens on Sunday night after church. A great reflection of Christianity.

The Boss at work is know as a tyrant. He orders people around. Pays poor salaries. Fires anyone who shows the potential to take his position. He Dominates, manipulates and controls. He shows no empathy for anyone. Its work to the bone but on weekends he's at church singing worship songs and listening to a sermon. What a contrast of characters. Would Jesus be proud to call you his Son?

What about the regular Personal assistant in the office. She takes hour long lunch breaks when in should be 30 minutes. Arrives late, Leaves early. Uses company equipment for personal use, heck she even takes some stuff home. Sugar, tea, coffee, some of the water bottles from the boardroom fridge nothing big so it should be ok. She refuses to help anyone. She worries about herself and how much money she can score in any way possible. The people at work see all this. What do they think when she says she is a Christian?

I have been thinking a lot about how we handle everything in life. What are our motives and what drives us. We often get stressed out because we are probably doing things our way. We get stressed out because we have no control of what happens and we want it to be our way. We want to be in control. We sometimes use prayer as a means to achieve our objectives forgetting that we need to align our lives with Jesus and his objectives. Our prayers are often a wish list of things we want and we expect God to deliver because we said so. Much like spoilt children talking to Rich Daddy. This is not exactly correct. Sure we can ask God for things but he will in the end give us what is right and good for us and for his kingdom and not just anything we ask. If God thinks you need to work on your selfishness why would he give you more stuff to be selfish with. He would probably trust you with more if you were not selfish and that means not being selfish in your heart and not just in action. Faking the end result because of wrong motives just shows once again that the motives are wrong and you need more work before you before God can make you what he wants you to be.

I guess in this year we should be asking what's the point then? Why am I here and what should I be doing? If work sux for me should I run or is there more? If Family is a pain should I run or Is there more? I would like to throw some thoughts at that and it all revolves around Mission. What is your purpose and mission in life?

Firstly let's look at family. Is your mission to be married and be selfish and obtain as much as you can from the family life, from your spouse and your children or, is family about getting your spouse and children to reflect God. This means your role is to help the others in family find God, Grow in God and reflect God with the aim of ultimately being missional themselves. If your family is not where it should be the question remains about what part you have played in either helping or hindering the family from growing to the goal of reflecting God. What will you do each any every day to help your family members be messengers of Jesus and his Love.

What about church.... Same thing, is church there to support your selfish agenda? Do you leach of church, get happy on worship and great sermons but contribute zero to the people who attend. Is this Gods purpose for you in a community of believers to sit back and absorb without giving back to what is happening in the Church, Community and Home Cell. I think God has gifted you in some way. Use these gifts to further the kingdom.

What about work.... For some people it's a power trip. For others a money making machine. Maybe you hate work? I don't know what goes on at your work but have to ask the question....What's your purpose there? Is it to sit through the drudgery or is it to shine the light. To reach out to others and show them Jesus. this is done through what you say, What you do and in some cases requires you to step out and maybe offer to help someone. Pray for someone. Feed Someone. Comfort Someone. Not work.....Pure Joy. Being the light in the work place. If your are a person that brings Anger, Grumpiness, Stress, corruption.....your are not bringing the fruits of the spirit to your work place. Maybe it's time to try and lets God be more and you be less.

Anyway......So there's a new years resolution for you. Be missional and change where you are.
Be real. Don't fake it. Be the original you the way you are designed to be.

Cheers
Greg

Healed by a stranger

The dust was killing me. I had travelled for days to get here. It was not the easiest travel since I could not walk. I had to rely on others to get me from A to B. My family had been very supportive. This was my last chance. This place was my final hope of healing. I had heard of a doctor of sorts that would be able to heal me. I had heard the stories from so many people of how he had healed others. I assumed he was some kind of magician although all the magicians I had heard of were not able to do what I had heard he had done. Trust me, I had tried them all. Magic potions, spells, chants…..It was all pointless. None of It had worked. I had paid, I had slaved, I had done everything and it had got me nowhere. All the gods I had tried were useless.

As I was being carried into Jerusalem there was a huge amount of commotion. Crowds were following people going up the hill. It looked like the romans were going to crucify a few people. I wondered what they had done to deserve that. They were probably murderers, thieves, rapists or something of the like. They deserved the death sentence. I felt no pity for them at all even though I knew they were going to suffer the most painful death anyone could suffer.

As we waited for the procession to go past so we could continue I saw the one prisoner go past. He was bleeding profusely from the back where he had obviously been whipped. There was very little skin left on his back. His face was beaten black and blue to the extent that I was surprised he could see where he was going with the swollen eyes from all the punches the romans had obviously given him. He had a weird crown of thorns on his head. I had never seen that before in any crucifixion. As I watched he stumbled and fell. The beam he was carrying smacked him from behind onto the unyielding ground. He barely moved from what must have been exceptionally painful. After some prodding and pushing the roman grabbed a guy from the crowd and made him carry the beam.

The guy with the crown slowly drew to his feet. Other than some groans of pain he said nothing. He stood slowly and with some pushing from the romans began to move forward. As he began to move he looked over at me. I froze. There was something in his eyes. He bore deep into my soul and I could tell he knew everything about me. Through the blood he smiled at me, if ever a man could in the pain he was facing as if to say that this was for me. Then he was shoved forward by the roman soldier. Before I could say otherwise the guys carrying me began to follow up the hill. They wanted to see what was going to happen. I must confess I was drawn for some reason to what was going on.

I watched them crucify him.

I watched him die.

I cried my eyes out.

Something about that man had been more than anyone had known. I cried even more when I found out that he was the man I had come to see. He was my last hope to ever walk again. He was dead and my hope was gone. I would never be healed.

After three days of hiding in the room and crying myself to bed I was woken by a man standing in front of me. At first I was confused who he was. He looked me in the eyes and then I knew it was him. I could never forget those eyes and that smile. He said to me “My name is Jesus, You were looking for me and now you have found me”. “You are now healed”. “Stand up and walk”. He took my hand to help me up and as he did I could feel my legs. I could wiggle my toes. I had not done that in all my life. I started to stand up. My legs held my weight. I took a step forward and could not contain the elation in me. I screamed in pure joy and ran to the side of the room and then ran back. I knew this man. He was the Messiah. He was my Lord and King.

Jesus is risen. As we celebrate Easter and the days ahead remember that Jesus is risen, he is real and is a miracle working God. He wants to interrupt your life and heal you from everything. As you draw close to Jesus and look into his eyes. He will smile at you and change your life. You can make that choice today to meet with him. Close your eyes and picture him smiling at you. What does he say to you?

Cheers

Greg

Talking to Demons

I was up in the hills of the Drakensberg enjoying another Christian youth camp. I had enjoyed them all and seen many young people meet Jesus. This particular camp had been stranger than most. We had spent significantly more time in prayer and looking to God. We had seen more young people showing more interest in being closer to God. We had quiet times and the camp and had allowed the young people to go off and pray and come back with what God had been telling them. More than before God had spoken. He had met the thirteen year olds and touched their lives. He had spoken directly with them in ways that had blown my mind. God had shown that he was real and that he was alive and well and wanting to be a friend of those who wanted. God had spoken because the faith of a young person is strong and alive. God honours that faith and touched lives.

That night the leadership were all relaxing and having discussion about God, the camp and how things were going. We were amazed at what had happened and prayed and thanked God. Things were disrupted however by a young man, one of the leaders of the camp. The young man jumped up and began to speak foul language. Cursing everyone and in a voice that was not his own. Before we could understand what was happening he had run out the building towards the river screaming that he was going to drown the man. It had very clearly dawned on us that we were experiencing a demon manifesting. Most of us had heard the stories, read the book, watched some movies. This however was very different. This was real and in our faces. We ran after the guy to help him. We saw him dive in the cold waters of the Drakensberg to drown himself.

A few of us dived in and with great effort managed to rescue him from under the water. We dragged him up to the building in a stupor and sat him down with towels to dry him. He seemed normal. We began to pray for him and then he changed. He became the demon again. His voice was different, His language was different, and his actions were different. He threatened us and taunted us. The demon was in control of him and we were out of our depth. We prayed harder, we called on Jesus and we rebuked the demon. Nothing worked. The demon said he had the right to stay. We knew no different. We were young and impressionable. We eventually got to talk to the man. He confessed that not only had he been molested as a child but he had also molested children himself at a school. He was unrepentant and did not want to let go. We knew why the demon remained and was in control.

The next day the camp was over and the young man left. I have never seen him since. I still wonder who is in control of his life? Had he dealt with his past? Had he laid it all before Jesus or was he holding back? That experience woke me up. I realised that demons are real. That the fight we have is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. (eph 6) I also realised that if demons exist and are real I needed to be very sure about my relationship with Jesus. we needed to lay everything before him so that he would be in control our our lives. Have you truly laid it all before Jesus or are you holding something back? Jesus wants your all and not just the pieces you think are nice. He wants you warts and all. Thats what repentane is about. Lay it before him, all of it, and let him turn you into what he wants you to be.

cheers

Greg

Free Gift

Once upon a time there was a man who had everything in the world. There was nothing that he did not have. This man decided one day that he would give away some of his wealth. At first he thought it would be a select few. He then decided he would rather give it away to everyone who needed it.

He spent many years planning his great free gift give away. He got the names of everyone who lived with their delivery address which he placed in a large book. He began to wrap gifts for each person individually. He wrapped each gift the same in red wrapping with a big ribbon on top. He made sure that each would change the person’s life in a dramatic way. The big day came for his deliveries. He summonsed his team of helpers who would be responsible for delivery he gift. Trucks were loaded an off the gifts went to their destined addresses.

The wealthy man sat at home waiting in anticipation for those who would receive his gift. He was hoping that they would love the gift. He knew that it would change their lives forever.

A messenger arrived with the good news. The gift delivery was going well. Many people had received the gift with joy and appreciation. Some had opened the gift immediately and their lives had been changed for good forever.  The wealthy man began to receive phone call of thanks and built friendships with those who called who had appreciated the gift.

There was some news that worried the man.

Some people had taken the gift and told their friends and displayed it at home to elevate themselves in their society. They had however not opened the gift. They had missed out.

Other people had taken the gift and hidden it making sure no one knew where it was.

Still others opened the gift and were disappointed that it was not what they wanted. They had thrown it away in their rubbish bins.

A further group had mocked those who received the gift. They wanted no part of it and began to remove the gift from others and to steal it.

There was another group of men who ran a company though it was a good marketing idea and began to hand out their own gifts. They often managing to replace those that the wealthy man had sent.

A messenger came in the door with some disturbing news. One of his helpers had been injured delivery gifts. Someone had set their dogs on him and he had been badly hurt. More news came of another helper that had been beaten to death when he had done the delivery. More and more sad news followed of helpers being beaten and often killed while doing deliveries. The wealthy man got angry with those who had rejected hi gift and even more so with those that had hurt or killed his helpers. He began to record the names of those who had rejected his gift and rejected his helpers and put these in another large book. He was going to get his revenge as soon as all the deliveries had been completed he would send his army of helpers to take revenge.

Jesus is the free gift. We have a chance to accept him now or reject him. A time will come when we will no longer have a chance and God will exact his revenge on those who have rejected his gift, rejected him and called out his wrath. Some of us have become Christians by name only to satisfy our friends and community yet we have never spoken to God and built a relationship with him.

I encourage you. Do not reject God. He wants to hear you and speak to you. Talk to him now just like you would a friend. He will reply.

Cheers

Greg

Roses for Valentine’s Day

I was nervous, as I put on my school uniform I realised that today might be the day that I had been hoping for since Christmas. Today was going to be the day I got my first rose. He had promised he would give me a rose. I had butterflies in my stomach as I picked up my satchel with my school books in and ran down the stairs and out the front door. My Dad drove slowly through the traffic. It felt like it was going to take forever to get to school.

With a kiss on the forehead my Dad said goodbye and left me at school. I stood where he had left me watching people getting out their cars I noticed the sea of red that came with them.  There were roses, lots of them, beautiful full blown red roses. I hoped I was going to get one. I saw teddy bears of various shapes and forms. I saw cards of many sizes. It was finally here, Valentine’s day and I was going to be special to someone today.

I got to my class and saw other girls shriek when they found something special in their Desk. The usual questions followed “who was the secret admirer, who had left the rose for his love?” a boy in the background secretly watching would normally smile and blush when he was noticed. He would deny it of course, but everyone knew.

I lifted the lid on my desk slowly peeking inside to see if there was anything. Nothing, I lifted the lid and felt my heart sink. Maybe he needed more time. I made sure I stayed away from my classroom as much as possible to give him time to do something, anything. Whenever I came to look there was nothing. I waited in the passageways hoping he would come to me and reveal himself. Still no-one came and nothing was revealed. I was beginning to be disappointed. Was I not worth it? Did he not love me? He had promised and I knew that he would keep his promise.

I stood waiting for my Mom to fetch me outside the school. As I stood and watched I saw a sea of red leaving the school as people returned home. My heart sank further and further the longer I stood waiting. It was not long before I was standing alone. A tear was forming in my eye. I was sad and heart broken. The tear ran down my face and then fell off towards the ground and landed with a splat. As it landed the water began to disappear into the dirt. That was when I saw it.

It was a red rose. The biggest I had ever seen. It was on a rose bush in front of me. I was sure there had not been one there before. I walked towards it and stopped. Another rose popped open in front of my eyes and then another and another. The bush slowly turned red with roses as one by one the buds came to life. I smiled as the strong smell of the roses filled the air. He had given me many roses and he loved me more than I could imagine. I started humming “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tell me so”.

As Valentine’s Day approaches don’t forget the greatest lover of them all. For God so loved the world, he gave his son Jesus for each and every one of us. This is by far the greatest gift anyone can give. Regardless of how you feel about yourself or how you think others think of you. Know that Jesus loved you enough to die for you on the cross. Stop for a moment and consider the pain, humility, suffering, torture, ridicule that He bore on that day. Then consider the joy, happiness, elation and sense of completion when he rose from the grave. Here is Jesus, the rose of Sharon for you on Valentine’s Day.

Cheers

Greg

Angry with GOD

I was no friend of God. He had killed my parents. He had ruined my life. I had to live my life without any help. I had to feed myself and protect myself. God!!!, give me a break. He had left the planet if he even existed. He was probably watching us all through his magnifying glass. Burning us like little ants whenever he pleased. I was no friend of God. I was more of his enemy. I was the wolf people spoke of. I had taken their daughters, I had taken their money. I had used people as much as possible for my own gain. I was wealth and could do what I wanted. I had no need for God.

That was until now. I was battling to breathe. My ribs had cracked from the impact of me hitting the rocks below the cliff I had been rock climbing on. I had tried to call but winced in pain. I was alone and bleeding to death. No one knew where I was. I tried to push myself up. My one leg bent sideways in an angle it should not have done. Pain rushed through my body and I collapsed. My head throbbed. I could feel blood oozing down my face. This was my time. This was my end. I was now going to meet my maker, assuming he still existed. I could feel the strength draining from my body as the blood flowed out. As the blood flowed out so did my anger. I prayed, begged and pleaded. God if you really exist. Show me. If you really Love me Show me. Save me now. I tried to negotiate my way out. I tried to beg my way out. I shouted at him. “You want me dead like my parents”. “What kind of God are you? Everything went black as I passed out.

It was a great day for a walk. I was in my usual spot overlooking the mountains and the beautiful view. This was where I found God the most. On weekends I Loved Spending time with him, listening to him and worshiping him in this spot amongst his creation.  It was my favourite place and with my favourite friend, Jesus. “Lord, I am here for you”. If you need me speak to me”. “I am all yours” I prayed.  That was when it happened, the audible voice. I had never heard Gods voice so clearly before. I had read about it in the bible but had never experienced it so vividly.  “Get up, go down the cliff face”. “Follow the path to the left along the cliff at the bottom”. “I need you to share my love with someone today”. I was shocked. To hear a voice was one thing. To obey the voice was madness. I considered the voice was a dream. Then it came again. “Get up, go down the cliff face”. “Follow the path to the left along the cliff at the bottom”. “I need you to share my love with someone today”.

There was nothing down here. What was the point of being sent here? This was a wild goose chase. I must have been dreaming about the voice I had heard. No one was waiting for me at the bottom of the cliff. I had been walking ten minutes and was considering giving up. This was an exercise in futility. It was then that I saw some rope on the cliff face up ahead. It was dangling loosely on the rock face. Some rock climber must have left it behind I thought. My eyes followed the rope and what I saw shocked me. It was a man lying on the rocks at the bottom. He was still attached to the rope. He was badly injured if not even dead. There was blood all over the rocks. I ran to him and checked his pulse. He was still alive barely. I pulled out my mobile and called 911. I was praying “Jesus, Help this man”. I heard a voice reply “I am“.

I was sitting in church getting ready to preach. I was a friend of God. He had saved me that day at the bottom of the cliff. He had sent someone to save my life and the least I could do was tell others and share his love for them. I got up and walked forward using my crutch to support me. I knew what I needed to do.

Q – Do you share God’s love with others? How?
Q – Do you listen for Gods voice? When, where, How often?
Q – Do you obey him even when it seems stupid or unimportant?
Q – Do you resist God in your life? Why?
Q – How has God shown his love for you?

Millions of people die every day without knowing God. That could be you. Maybe it’s time to cut God some slack. Get over your petty human issues and realise that he does Love you and does want the best for you and from you. Without him you are nothing. With him you are everything. You are designed to fulfil his purpose and not your selfish desires.  I hope you feel as challenged as I am to hear God and obey. To bring Jesus to a broken world and show that he cares.  Paul was the worst person, killing Gods people yet Jesus wanted him and met him on the road to Damascus. How much more does he want you?

God Bless

Greg

Going Home

I woke with a start. Something was out of the norm. I remembered going to sleep in the hospital. I had been looking forward to going home to see my wonderful wife of 47 years the next day at home. Something however was different this time. I was in a place I had not been before. I should have been worried but I was not in the slightest. I felt strangely at ease. I felt loved more than I ever had before. It surrounded me from all sides. I stood and looked around. I was covered by a thick mist yet through the mist was a bright light. Next to my feet were blue and white balloons. It was as if someone had been celebrating. The light was the brightest I had ever seen. Like a moth to a light I started to inch forward. Slowly at first wondering if my legs could handle it. It was then that I realized there was no pain. I stopped. I lifted one leg...no problem....I lifted the other...it also worked. Better than it had in years. I jumped. What an experience. I began to run delighted by the new found freedom my legs now had. The wind blew in my face, the bright light got closer. I could hear a sound. It was getting louder. I began to recognize it as people. It must have been a massive crowd to make that noise. I started to see the people all around me. They were clapping and cheering for me. They were shouting my name, whistling and clapping me to carry on. I saw a face I recognized. It was my mom and there was my dad. I had missed them so much. I could see some of my primary school teachers, my friends and family who had gone before me. Tears of joy streamed down my face. I wanted to stop running and talk to them. To see what they had been doing. To find out more about this place, but something kept pushed me on. The crowd grew larger. The people were now joined by angels, thousands of them. It was absolutely amazing. I had never seen angels like this. Some were huge and built like body builders with swords strapped to their sides. The light got brighter, my joy and excitement grew stronger as I continued to run. I could hear the faint sound of bagpipes. I recognized the tune of ‘Amazing Grace’, it was one of my favorites. I saw someone in the light running towards me. As he got closer I knew it was him. It was my God and King. I stopped to kneel but before I could kneel he gave me a bear hug and whispered in my ear. Well done Neville, my good and faithful servant. You have finished the race. I took a deep breath and realized I could smell someone braaing and I knew that I was now truly home.

Dedicated to Neville Heron Laing.30th May 1940 - 23rd January 2012

Philippians 1:21 For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

My prized possession and it’s free.

I was 12 and very alone. No one was with me. My world had been turned upside down in a few seconds. I was freezing cold from the icy wind that blew over the water. It was pitch dark sitting on the roof. Where I used to see lights from the surrounding houses I now saw none. In the dark I could see the shapes of some of the structures still standing. Most had been washed away by the force of the water that had come pummelling through with no mercy or warning. I had been one of the lucky ones. My bedroom was on the second floor when it all started. I had heard the sound of trees crashing and water roaring from my room. When I got to the bedroom window I saw a glimpse of my Dad as he was swept away by the raging waters that had caught him unawares with the sudden surge as he was cutting the lawn. I could only assume something similar had happened to my Mom and sister.

At first I had panicked. I had screamed for help. None had arrived. I had sat and watched the water rising for hours. I had seen many things float by. Cars, houses, boats, cows, horses and yes…..what bothered me was the amount of people that had gone by. I knew they were dead. It scared me. I thought the police would rescue me, until I saw what must have been one wash past. I realised that I was only going to survive if I did it myself.

I watched the water rise and realised I needed to get to higher ground. I needed a ladder so I could get on the roof and knew there was no way I was going to get one here. I ran to my parent’s room and tried to drag a cabinet into the passage way so I could get to the roof hatch. It was too heavy. I was starting to panic. Water was coming in the doors leading downstairs. I heard my bedroom window glass smash and knew something floating past had hit the window. I needed a plan fast. I grabbed the draws on the cabinet and threw them out one by one. I knew there was no way I would get in trouble for this. Once they were all out I pushed the cabinet and it began to move. Inch by inch I moved the cabinet to the middle of the passage way. I climbed up on the cabinet with water sloshing around my feet. I pushed open the roof entrance and was about to climb up when I remembered I needed stuff to survive.

I jumped down and sloshed to my room. It was difficult to move through the water. There were lots of things in my way. Once in my room I pushed open the cupboard as best I could while the water rushed in. I reached up and grabbed a dry blanket and a torch. As I turned to leave the room I stopped. I was sure I left something important behind. Then I saw it on the bookshelf, My bible that my dad had given me in third grade. I dashed over as fast as I could and grabbed it. Carrying the blanket, torch and bible I struggled to climb the cabinet. I pushed the Blanket into the opening in the ceiling and hoisted myself up. I turned the torch round and bashed on the roof tiles. As they gave way daylight streamed in. I made a hole big enough for myself and climbed up onto the roof. My parents would never have allowed me to be up here. I knew that this time it would not be an issue. I was safe for now although I did not know how long. I was alone.

In the darkness I cried. I looked at my bible and wondered if God did love me, if he really did care. I wondered if he would leave me on a rooftop to die. I prayed, Lord Jesus, I have always known that you are there. Please don’t leave me alone now. Send me a fiery chariot to save me from these waters. As I finished praying a bright light shone down on me from above. At first I thought it was from heaven I then realised God had sent me a helicopter with a really bright light. I guess a fiery chariot would have been overkill. A rope landed next to me with a face on the end. It was a man named John, He was really nice and let me get my bible before pulling me up to my chariot. I knew God had a plan. I knew things would be tough moving forward, but I knew I was not alone. God was going to be with me, I would fear no evil, his rod and staff were with me.

What would you take if you had a flooded house? What do you prize more than God? Would you save yourself before others or would you climb over them to save yourself first? We need to have the faith of a child. We need to know God is there waiting for us to talk to him. He has our best interest in mind even though we might not think so.

Cheers

                Greg

School shoot out

Being adopted had frustrated me all my life. I always felt like I could never get anything done right. I always felt like I was second hand baggage. I was someone my parents did not even want and was thrown away like garbage on the side of the road. My new parents were ok, they fed me and looked after me. They had put up with my temper, my mood swings and my weird dress sense.  Today I was angry, angry at everyone but mostly angry at God. How could he allow this to happen? How could he allow my biological parents to throw me out? It was his fault. He should have looked after me. In fact he should have not even allowed me to be conceived. If I did not exit it would have been better.

I was sitting at school in my class complaining about life. Complaining about everything that was going on and how life was unfair. I had no purpose. My life was a waste. As I finished the though I heard a popping sound, Followed shortly by another. The entire class went deathly quiet. Someone said, “Isn’t that a Gun”. There were a few more pops, this time they were closer and were sounding more like bangs, they were sounding more like a gun. A few people came running past the class screaming. “Someone is shooting people, we need to hide” Said a boy who ran into the class. The teacher tried to calm us all down. We all got under our desks and remained as quiet as possible. Some of the girls were crying. The tension was too much.

My desk was by the door. I was beginning to freak out. We could hear the gun shots getting very close. We heard footsteps outside our class door. It was someone walking past. It could only be the shooter. Everyone else had been running. The footsteps stopped. I heard a gun being reloaded. This was not a good sign. I tensed up waiting to see what would happen. We all remained quiet. Suddenly the door burst open and in walked the shooter. He was a young guy holding a 9mm pistol. As he leveled it towards the room to begin opening fire I sprang into action. I grabbed the legs of the desk I was under and charged the person in front of me. The desk slammed up against his head before he could turn to face me with the gun. A shot went off and ricochet off the roof.  I rammed the desk a second time against him. The gun dropped to the floor as did the attacker. He was out cold. The desk must have hit him squarely on the jaw. It was a KO in round one. I was stunned. The entire class was stunned.

Afterwards I was sitting by the police cars drinking some sweet juice. People from my class came past and thanked me. For the first time in my life I felt special. I realised that if I had not been around people in my class would have died. I then realised that I did have a purpose. I could make a difference. It was up to me to make the choice. I dialed my adopted parents and told them what had happened. I told them that I loved them. It was a start.

Always remember that life is made of choices. You can choose to live a selfish life or a life that blesses others. You can choose to be depressed and full of self-pity or you can choose to be a person that other people want to be with, someone who lifts people up rather than kicks people down. Make some right choices today.

Cheers

Greg

New Year Giveaway Surprise

It was New Year and I was Grumpy. My dad had dragged me out to some remote area. It sucked. I had far better thing to do. I had friends to see, parties to go to. I had my whole life ahead of me. Why would he drag me into such obscure locations? I guess it was where his heart was at. He had been a Christian for many years and always wanted to help others, but why on New Year’s. There was so much more to do. He had woken me at the crack of dawn to make sandwiches. He had bought bread for a small army and jars of jams of various flavours. We were going to make the usual one I had for school. The one that sat in my bad and got soggy from the heat and I eventually threw it away. I did not know how people would eat them. I had suffered under the oppression of jam sandwiches for years. It was terrible. We had slaved for two hours making sandwiches. The entire time I had bugged my dad and begged and pleaded to get out of it. My hands were a bit stiff from all the spreading of jams. I think I had even mixed some of it up. Someone was in for a strawberry apricot surprise all mixed in one.

The road to where we were going was rough. It had many pot holes in the gravel and needed careful navigation. My dad’s four by four made easy work of it. I wondered how these people moved around. The view on the drive was terrible. All I saw was tin shacks, dirt, garbage and dirty people. I was not enjoying it at all. When we got to our destination I was surrounded by screaming children with dirty faces. I was sure they were trying to steal my mobile or wallet. I went back to the car and locked them in the cubbyhole. My dad was in his element. He greeted everyone with a smile. I was sure he hugged all the old people and there were a lot of them although they were outnumbered by the children ten to one. Where were the children’s parents? It was a Sunday. There was no way they were at work. Everything had been closed down for New Year’s.  

We pulled out the food and started handing it out. I was surprised at the response. It was as if they had not eaten for days. The children were well behaved and came one by one. They thanked me every time. I noticed one or two who snuck back in queue for seconds and I ignored the offense. They were just as polite the second time round. We stayed a few hours and played some soccer. My dad chatted to the older people and prayed for a few of them.

When we left my dad explained that the food we had brought was the first meal they had for that day. He also explained that the children had no parents. Their parents had died of aids and now the grannies looked after the children. Most of the children were not even related to them. They children had just needed a home when the parents had passed on.

On my way home all I saw was friendly people, soccer fields, family and people trying to survive. I was glad I have spent my new year doing this. I asked my dad if I could go with him next time to see my friends.

This year we should spare a though for the less fortunate amongst us. In South Africa we have many orphans who go to school on empty stomachs. We have many grannies that look after large families and have only pension payouts to feed them and ten children. Maybe take a break this year for a few hours and go and help out the less fortunate. Go and make some new friends and help them out where they are at. Be the salt and light in the world in a way that people cannot mistake it.

 Cheers

Greg

The untold birth of Jesus

I was so excited. I had been looking forward to this day since time began. It felt so long ago yet it felt like yesterday. I suppose that happens when you’re me. I had planned the day down to the smallest details. I had placed everything where it should be. The excitement in the air was absolutely palpable. My son was about to make me the proudest Father ever. It was like he was going for his first day of school. I was waiting for his birth. The moment when it would all begin. My son had agreed to undo all that had been done in the past. He was going to right the wrongs of the entire universe. This was a huge moment in my Life. I did one last check that everything was in place. The STAR was on its way. The manger was ready. The angels had practiced what they were going to say to the shepherds……They had been practicing for years. This was now the time for it all to happen. This was to be a milestone in my plans for humanity, for myself, for everyone. I could not contain myself.

I waved to Gabriel to get ready, he smiled. He had been ready for a millennium or two. I watched as Mary and Joseph held hands while she screamed in labour.  The sheep and cows stood nearby as planned watching and listening to what was unfolding. In anticipation we all waited. The universe held its breath for the birth of its King. The cry rang out as the baby emerged. Joseph quickly wiped the baby clean and wrapped him in swaddling clothes. Mary smiled as Joseph handed my son to Mary. Mary smiled and said Jesus my son. I could not contain myself any longer, I shouted “Jesus, my son”. I needed the world to know. The Star rose in the east to let people know. The angels left to see the shepherds. The world now had a saviour. Not just a prophet or wise men. They had plenty of those. No, this was my son. He is the King, The saviour, the ruler of the world. He was going to bring my people back to me.

The Angels broke out in Chorus and worship me. I noticed that Lucifer was silent. He knew his time had come. The end was now drawing closer.

Merry Christmas everyone and most of all Happy Birthday Jesus.

Cheers
Greg

The day it all went wrong

I was wealthy. I had a beautiful wife, three wonderful children, a very large house in a secure wealthy suburb. I had the job everyone would kill for. I had a salary that attracted attention from investment companies and banks all desperate to have a share of my wealth. I had friends everywhere that would assist me with almost anything…..for a price. It had happened over many years. I had started small with a few small business ideas. One of them had finally worked and made me what I was. I was proud of myself. The world was my oyster and I could achieve anything I wanted to. I had become my own god. I worshiped me. I looked at what I had done and it was good. I felt sorry for the people who were not able to achieve as I had achieved. I pitied them for being stupid and lazy. If I could do it anyone could.

I sat in my corner office looking out the window at the buildings around me. I wore my best suit today as I was about to be promoted to an even better position. I would climb the ladder of success further than anyone else my age had every done.

The door slammed open. In rushed my secretary. She shouted. ‘It’s all over, it’s ruined, and we are finished.” I jumped from my seat and ran to her. “What do you mean?” She spluttered, “The FBI is downstairs”. I knew what this meant. All our bad dealings had caught up with us. I had been aware of the dealings for months. It was standard to work within the grey areas of the law. We however had pushed further into what was illegal, Fraud, Money laundering and some very unsavoury friends. My millions would be gone in a breeze. I then realised…

I had no wealth, my wife loved someone else, my children did not know me, and my house would be gone. I had no Job or salary. I would lose my friends. It had happened overnight. I had lost everything. I was very sad. I realised that I was no god. I realised that I did not deserve worship. Everything I had done was bad. I was happy others had not been like. They had been clever. They had walked the righteous path. I realised that I was alone, that I had nothing. I fell to my knees and cried. I cried for forgiveness from God.

Sometimes we get so lost in life we forget that God is in control. We lose him in our rush to achieve status, wealth and power only to realise later that they are meaningless and can disappear in an instant. God is always there. Seek him first. Spend time with him and rest in his arms. Let him be your guide to how to live your life. Maybe it’s time you took a break and spent it with family and friends. Don’t lose the precious people in your life by chasing material wealth. Focus on the important stuff in life. God and then family, That’s the priority I would want you all to have.

cheers

Greg hay

The END of the WORLD

I had searched everywhere. I had checked the kitchen, the bathrooms, around the house. Even the Garden shed. I could not find my Mother. Her car was here, so she had not driven anywhere. The keys were where she always left them. I tried her cellphone for the tenth time and left another message. Where had she gone? This was ridiculous. It was dinner time and she needed to make me food. I had been out the entire day with friends having a great time doing things she and her church would disapprove of. I was old enough to make my own decisions. I could live my life the way I wanted without boundaries and rules. Church was for old people or people who did not keep up with science. God did not exist.

I turned on the TV to see the usual presenters only to see that there were new ones. They must have fired them or they were on Christmas leave. It was silly to have them both on leave at the same time. The new presenters seemed very nervous and unprofessional. They were to say it bluntly, quite useless. I started to listen carefully and then started sweating. The news was about the disappearance of people off the planet. People had just gone. What got my attention was when the presenter said in a very sarcastic tone that it seemed to be mainly religious fundamentalists and that the world was better without them. They were talking about my mom. Now I was really worried.

I grabbed the phone and dialed again, still no answer. I called her friend Betty. The phone was answered by her daughter Melissa. She had not seen my mom and wanted to know if I had seen her mom. Maybe they were together at one of those prayer meetings at the church and their phones were on silent.

I grabbed the car keys and headed for the car. I was going to see what was going on at the church. I was getting very freaked out. I remembered being taught about the Rapture. The Rapture was time when all Christians would disappear and be with God. I had always though it was rubbish, much like all the other myths in the Bible. Ridiculous and made up fairy tales.

When I got to the church there were cars in the car park. I ran inside to find the building empty. It was very, very weird. There were so many cars and yet no one in the building. I was about to leave when I heard sobbing in the corner. I ran to see who it was. It was the Pastor. I had met him a few times before. He was on his knees crying his eyes out. He looked at me and said. “So you also got left behind”. I knew what he meant. It had happened. God’s time had come. I burst into tears and collapsed to my knees and began praying. I had not done that in years.

There is a time limit. No one knows what it is. God is a patient God and has given mankind many years to make a decision to follow him. He’s given you many years as well. How many more years will he give you to make up your mind? Perhaps you have made up your mind already by not making a decision. At some point we will all stand before God and be judged for our relationship with him and how we have accepted him. For those who have not accepted there is eternal torment in the fires of hell. God Loves us but also has to be true to us in his wrath and in his judgment. After all we have done, we deserve punishment. He has given us a way out. Don’t wait too long to make your decision. You might run out of time.

Cheers

Greg

Time to get Wet...Make ur Choice

I had been in my car, stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for more than an hour. I was sweating in the heat. The air conditioner had not been working for a while. I was starting to get frustrated. Where all this traffic came from had me puzzled.  Maybe there was an accident further up the road. I prayed that it had not been serious but knew it was probably going to be bad judging by all the cars sitting bumper to bumper on the freeway. Some cars had pulled to the side and seemed to have given up hope of getting anywhere.  Every few minutes I would start the car and move forward a few inches hoping I would see the end of the traffic. I turned on the radio to see if there was any information on what had happened and how to get around it. The announcer was hopeless and did not help in the least. There was something happening but nothing the announcer knew about.  Blah, Blah, Blah…..lots of traffic…..Blah, Blah, Blah…..no idea what is causing it….Blah, Blah, Blah…..police are on the way. How on earth where the police going to get through this traffic jam was beyond me.

People started running past my car. At first I thought we were being attacked from behind and everyone was running to get clear. I taking a closer look I realised that the people were not running away but rather running towards something. They seemed strangely happy. I could only assume it was not an accident as I had assumed. Maybe some famous person had blocked the road. One thing was for sure we were no longer going anywhere. Traffic had come to a stop. The inches I enjoyed were now completely gone with abandoned cars all over the freeway.  After a few minutes I realised that I could not miss out.  I was as curious as anyone could be.

I reached for the door handle and opened the door almost hitting a person running past in excitement to get to whatever he was trying to get to. He managed to veer to the side and avoid being knocked over by the door. After making sure the doors were locked, I started walking down the road in the same direction to where everyone else was heading. It was a strange feeling following the masses without knowing where I was going. The excitement was building for me even though I had no idea what was happening. I started to trot forward at a slightly quicker pace trying to match those around me.

I heard someone shout a name. It sounded like Jesus. I had heard stories about him. He had changed people’s lives in dramatic ways. He had healed some sick people. A blind guy could see, a lame person had started walking. There was a rumor that he had raised someone from the dead. It was ridiculous. No human could do that. He must be a magician of some kind.

In front of me I could see where the crowds had gathered. It was by the lake on the side of the freeway. The bank at the edge of the lake was covered in people watching someone in the water. I could tell it was the Jesus I had heard about. There was a long snake of people heading towards Jesus. The people were up to their knees in water. As they got to Jesus he would have a few words with him and then he would baptize them under water. The people would come out smiling and happy like all the cares of the world had been lifted from their shoulders. It was amazing to see what was going on. I knew that there was something special about Jesus. I knew that I would be faced with a choice.

You have a choice. Jesus had come to seek and save the lost. He called people to repent and be baptized. He called us to believe and be baptized. Do you believe? Have you repented? Have you been baptized? If you were standing on the banks of the Jordan what choice would you make if you saw Jesus in the water. You can make that choice now. Find a church with a good Pastor. Speak to him, Confess, believe and get Baptised. There is no time like the present. After all Jesus got Baptised and said we should is that not enough reason.

Cheers

                Greg Hay

The Day I Died

I was in agony. I could feel pain in every part of my body. I had at least one broken rib from the beatings I had endured over the last few days. Three broken fingers from the previous torture session. It had seemed like I had been here for an eternity but it had only been a week. I was in some non descript building in Iran. I tried to open my eyes. Through the slight haze in one eye I could see the small window with burglar bars. It barely gave light to the small cramped room I had found myself in. My other eye had stopped working. In this awful situation I somehow found peace. I found God. He was the reason I was here. I knew I should have been more careful with the bible I possessed. I had always known how dangerous it would be if I had been caught. There were so few in the country and now there was one less. It had surprised me that my friends had turned me in. I forgave them. They had been raised as extremist Moslem as had I. It was their duty. I had been a Christian less than a year. I had kept it secret from everyone except Ahmed my Christian brother. We had studied the bible together in secret to avoid being persecuted. All this was now coming to an end. I had been beaten on the brink of death and commanded to deny my faith. To turn against my father, creator and friend. To worship someone who did not Love me. It was impossible to do. Since meeting Jesus I had been changed permanently. I had no fear of death. I worshiped Jesus.


The door burst open. Three men came in and dragged me out the room. One had a machete. I knew this was it. The pain was going to stop. I was going to meet my maker. I began to shake uncontrollably and to sob aloud. They pinned my head on a block of wood. I was freaking out. The one in charge asked me. "Deny Jesus, serve Allah and his prophet Mohammed or you will now die". I was seriously considering changing my mind. Was God real? Where was he? I felt fear and hopelessness. As I was about to open my mouth I suddenly felt warm and loved. I knew I was safe. I knew Jesus was with me. I heard Jesus speak. He said " I am with you as I always was". My lips moved and I shouted " Jesus is God". I barely finished the sentence before the machette sliced through my neck.


I knew I was dead. It felt strangely good. I saw Jesus in front of me. He grabbed me by the shoulders and gave me a hug. All my pain was gone. I felt immeasurable love. He said " Well done Aabidah, welcome to my home. I have a room for you.


Consider the Christians around the world who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus. Many who die for their love of Jesus. Visit persecutedchurch.org and find out more. Pray for their protection.


Cheers
Greg hay

Breaking News – Young Christian Man Survives near Death Experience in Cave full of Lions

A young man in America known as Dan has survived a near death experience in a cave full of a large pride of very hungry lions. The Lions had been imported from Africa to be used as a method of executing people after it was found the Electric Chair and Guillotine had cost too much in running costs in the current tight economy. The Lions were found to be low maintenance as they were fed only humans on a regular basis. In particular the Lions were used to deal with extremists such as Christians or other God fearing people such as the Jews. The Lions had a 100% track record of executions including a group of men found guilty of worshiping God. This track record has now been broken by this well know man called Dan. Dan is a man who works in the local UN office in a very high position of Power. He is well known for being honest and hardworking. Unfortunately Dan is also a Christian who worships regularly at his home in full view of other bystanders who are subjected to his beliefs without their permission. Over time this has become an issue for the local authorities who want Dan to stop worshiping his God, Obey the local laws and worship the President of America as God. Dan was given a brief trial in which he confessed guilty and was sentenced to Death by Lions. Dan was escorted to the Lions Cave by a number of guards. On being tossed to the Lions the expectation was that Dan would be killed within minutes and consumed in entirety shortly thereafter. The Lions had not eaten for a number of days and would enjoy the meal. Much to the surprise of the onlookers the Lions did not do anything to Dan and remained calm during the entire process. The Crowd were disappointed to discover that Dan had survived the night and based on legal laws was released shortly after dawn. There were a number of his close friends to welcome him on his release. According to Dan the Lions could not touch him as he was protected by the Christian God called Jesus.

This story is based on the book of Daniel Chapter 6 and raises a number of Questions for us in modern society. The Question of what we hold important to us is foremost in the picture. Do we hold Jesus as the center of our lives or would we prefer a President, Country, Flag or business to be what we stand for. Daniel was challenged to worship someone other than God and go against all his peers and the laws of the land in what he stood for. He worshiped God and had a relationship with God many people would envy. In Some countries of the world today Christians cannot worship or Pray without fear of being killed. Not much has changed in all these years from what Daniel experienced. Yet Christianity still grows as more and more people hear Jesus and follow his voice regardless of the consequences. What would you do in Daniels situation? What would you do today if you lived in one of the countries of the world where Christians cannot worship freely? Yet sometimes in our freedom we cannot even stand up for the God we believe and follow. Lord Jesus help us to follow you above every other god that tries to compete with you.

Cheers

Greg

The Swan Paddling against the current

This story is inspired by a Word that came out of our Sunday morning church today.

The Sun was high in the sky shining across the river which made its way through wonderful landscaped mountains.  I sat on the edge of the mountain peering down at the lake at the end of the River through binoculars. The landscapes were impressive to say the least. A movement caught my eye as I was going over the landscape. It was a Swan on the lake trying to paddle against the current of water pushing it downstream. The swan tried it’s best to move upstream but seemed to constantly be pushed back by the torrent of water moving in the opposite direction. The Swans reflection in the water got churned up as the Swan tried to paddle harder and harder. Eventually the Swan realized that going against the current was not working and it stopped paddling and floated with the current. The Swan with a few kicks then used the current to take to flight and soar into the air, leaving behind all the struggles of going against the current.

In life we are sometimes like that Swan. We struggle against Gods plan for us. The more we struggle the more we don’t reflect who we are and we don’t get to where God wants us. We need to go with the current and allow God to give us what we need so we can take flight and get beyond all the issues in life. Let God be in control and reflect Jesus by allowing him to form you. Let the Potter be the potter and don’t fight so hard to be something you were not designed to be.

Cheers

Greg

The Great Circus

I let go of my father’s hand and ran as fast as I could. I could hear the voices and the sounds of Animals. I could smell the distinct smell of grass. In front of me was a barrier. A tall wooden fence made of pine. That was all that stopped me from seeing the Circus. I ran down the fence a few meters and found a hole big enough to put my eye on. I looked in. I could see a tail. It was something large and grey. It must be an elephant if only I could see the rest.  I ran further down and found another hole. I peered in to see what I could find. The Elephant had gone and all I could see was colour and movement. I could not tell what it was. The frustration in mind was building. I wanted to see everything. I ran to the next hole and checked again. There, I could see it, it was a monkey holding onto something……I could not see what it was. I was so frustrated. My Father was following me silently seeing what I would do. I ran to another hole and peered in….an elephant. Wait, I had been to this hole. I ran further and tried again. It seemed no matter what hole I tried I always came up with a small view of what was going on. I turned round and looked at my father. I was sad and my face showed it. I said with great disappointment.” I can’t see anything”. My father reached down. Grabbed me by my arms and lifted me effortlessly to his shoulder. My world erupted in colour and movement. I could see everything. I could see a large Elephant balancing on a block. There were monkeys dancing around. There was the colour of the clowns with their bright red noses playing tricks on each other. In the corner was the best of all a male lion in all his glory with a huge mane.  I could now see the entire Circus and I was happy, Happy that my father had been there to lift me up.

Often we try to put everything together in our lives and understand what is going on but only God see's the entire picture. We need to rely on him and trust him to show the full story when the time is right. Without him we will have limited view and will only see in part.

Cheers

Greg