Taking it up for Lent 2

Well that was an interesting week!

Last week you may recall I decided to spend Lent de-cluttering
Physically
Emotionally
Spiritually.

If you missed it,
you can read about it here
http://karensandford.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/taking-up-not-giving-up-for-lent.html

I have been
reading
thinking
praying.

Walking
running
playing.

I've taken warm baths;
mooched by the sea;
and spent 5 hours de-cluttering...

wait for it...

1 corner!

ONE CORNER!

Anyway.
I have also worked during that time
And been involved in ministry of one kind or another.

And on the whole it's been a good week.

I've heard God.

And enjoyed spending time with him.

On Wednesdays I do Parent & Toddlers.

After crawling through traffic at some ungodly hour,
then dropping Chris at the station;
I was on my way to the hall this morning
when I realised I couldn't do it.

I had nothing to offer.

Nothing to give.

Nothing.

We have a good team for Parent & Tots at Penge.
In many ways they don't need me.
And I needed a moment.

So I detoured for coffee
And porridge
And time.

I hid
worked
in the office for a while when I got there

But when I emerged
(for coffee again)
I saw one of the Mums was struggling.

She had suffered multiple bereavements a few years ago.
She knew I had too.

So we talked.

And she cried.

We spoke of the sustaining power of God.
We remembered that the valley of the shadow of death
can be long at times,
but we need fear no evil because God is there.

And we prayed.
In the middle of the clamor of little people,
we asked for God's Holy Spirit to fill her
with his strength,
his grace,
his comfort,
his peace.

She described me as one of the tokens of grace
that God had promised her in her grief,

But she was that for me too.
She understood.
No explanation required.

We ministered to each other as kindred spirits
united by shared experiences.

"And thanks be to God that He always...

Always...

ALWAYS leads us in triumphal procession.

And through us,

THROUGH US!

spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
(2 Corinthians 2:14)

In spite of everything.

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