JULY 31-AUGUST 1 – Wrong place...right time

“For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.…” - Jeremiah 29:11

“I started to believe that I was meant to get on that train, meant to be lucky enough to be rescued....meant to perform at the Paralympics.” What a statement of faith!

Martine turned the corner, and there was no stopping her impressive achievements as she threw her energies into rehabilitation. The word 'inspirational' is at times, overused, but I struggle to find an alternative expression that is appropriate. Martine's story is one of dignity, integrity, and determination.

Martine underwent 10 months of operations before she could again walk with prosthetic legs. Within four years she got married, learnt to ski, did a parachute jump, and learnt to fly solo after completing a Douglas Bader Flyng Scholarship.

Another special event led to Martine reassessing her future – the birth of her son Oscar – ironically due on the 7^th July! She says “I'm not sayong I wanted to do a runner, but after he was born I started questioning ehat I wanted to do with my life. I used to be very ambitious at work....I missed that ambition.

Throwing herself into a variety of sporting competitions she was selected to play in the World Volleyball Championships – bizarrly, she flew out for the team's first international game in Oklahoma on 7/7 2010. A lesser person would have been freaked out by this recurring date, but Martine went on to represent Britain in 2012 as Vice-Captain of team GB's sitting volleyball team – wearing the number seven shirt in honour of the 52 people who had died on 7/7.

To list all of her achievements would take another blog, they are so diverse and many. This Inspirational Woman of the Year (Zest magazine) works tirelessly for charity, and is a property developer in her spare time. A mum, an athlete, Captain of the sitting volleyball team, Martine is excited about the prospect of taking part in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The last words of this story are those of one courageous young woman, snatched from the jaws of death - broken, and unrecognisable to her family, her life in the balance for 10 months, speaks only of the future and her family. “Going to Rio would be amazing. I feel sorry for my family though. People say what a sacrifice I make, but I don't make the sacrifice, my family does.”

Doubtless her sense of humour and a contagious positivity has helped her turn her life around. “I'm doing things now I've always wanted to do but never had the time or opportunity to do before. I love my life now. Ten years ago I was an International Marketing Manager. I loved my job yet something was missing. That hole isn't there anymore.”

Martine doesn't speak of having a Christian faith. But where else has she gained her strength but from the Lord? Self-pity is not in her vocabulary, only Faith, Hope, and Love – along with a determination to live every day of her God-given second chance to the full.

(Acknowledgments Motability Magazine)

Music for today is Don Moen - “God Will Make a Way” (Live).

JULY 30 – Inspirational

“They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support” - Psalm 18:18
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” - Psalm 23:4

Martine Wright was ecstatic when she heard London had been awarded the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. She went out that night with colleagues to celebrate. Leaving home for work, later than usual, the following morning, she caught the train and settled down to avidly read the newspaper report of the Olympic plans. Her thoughts were on getting herself a ticket as soon as possible.

This was just over 10 years ago on 7 July 2005 when four suicide bombers set off bombs in central London – three on the underground, and one on a double decker bus close to King's Cross. 770 people were injured and 52 died. Unbeknown to herself, Martine had chosen a seat just three feet away from one of the suicide bombers.

Martine recalls “reading the paper, then a white flash, and being thrown from side to side, and seeing a figure coming towards her through the carnage. This figure was Liz Kenworhy, an off-duty policewoman, who saved her life by using a belt as a tourniquet around her legs. Martine lost 80 per cent of her blood, and because her injuries were so severe, she was the last person to be rescuied.

Without identification on her it took two days, a missing person report, and DNA from a hairbrush at her flat before she could be positively identified. Her brother and sister didn't recognise her, but her mother knew her by her eyebrows. Martine was resuscitated five times on the operating table, and was in a coma for 10 days. The attack had left her a double leg amputee.

Martine could have spent the rest of her life in bitterness, consumed by questions of “what if....” and “if only....” “If only I hadn't gone out the night before and caught my usual train to work....what if I'd sat in a different carriage?” Martine says her turning point came three weeks later in her first gym physio session. Meeting some of the other bombing victims for the first time, she realised that she wasn't the only one, and as bad as she was physically, others were suffering far mor psychologically – and the deaths - “I had been in a coccoon and no one had told me. That was a real turning point for me.”

Up to the day of the bombings, Martine worked as an International Marketing Manager for CNET, a technical news service, now her thoughts and life were turned around as she embraced a new and very different life.  She said, "I started to believe I was meant to get on that train, meant to be lucky enough to be rescued...."

Tomorrow we'll look at some of her challenges and incredible achievements.

Bryn has chosen the music today. The Isaacs singing “From the Depths of my Heart.”

JULY 28 - What has been your greatest gift?

'God is love' 1John 4:8

A short thought this morning.

Discussing this question at the end of term with a class of children aged 7-8 elicits some fantastic answers.
'My blue toy cars with the silver strips'
'My frozen doll' Not literally but a character from the Pixar film,  anyway a doll!
'My Xbox 360'

I could have added to this list but I won't. The author Selwyn Hughes wrote,

'If you take love out of an angel, what do you have left? A devil. If you take love out of a human being, what do you have left? A sinner.  If you take love out of God - what do you have left? Nothing - for God is love. Love is not something God does: love is what He is.'

God's greatest gift is love,  what is yours?

"God is love" 1John 4:8 or as Selwyn Hughes puts it,  God love is.

JULY 24-25 -

“My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long?” - Psalm 68. “Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing” - Psalm 5:1

When we find ourselves down in the dumps, lethargic, little interest in life, or motivation, even talking, like concentration is too much effort. Tears are often very close. Nothing seems worthwhile. We have little on our lips but sighs. If you've ever suffered from depression, you'll know the symptoms.

David describes many of the same symptoms in Psalm 6. David was “a man after God's heart” (Acts 13:22) – Israel's king, a giant-killer, and yet, a man given to periods of deep depression. More amazingly though, is the fact that David's battle with depression has been recorded in God's Word to show He understands our weaknessess, and that He hears us when we hit rock bottom and call on Him for help.

In Psalm 5 David asks the Lord not only to hear his words, but to also consider his sighs when he was in the depths of despair. David's pain had grown too great for words to express All he could offer in prayer were sighs and groans. Our God is amazing. He not only waits to hear our prayers – spoken, but also sighed.

David's example shows us that throughout all our difficult times – especially when the way seems blocked and we don't know what to pray for, “The Spirit Himself intervenes for us with groans that words cannot express” - Romans 8:26.

'God accepts our prayers just as they are. In the same way that a small child cannot draw a bad picture, so a child of God cannot offer a bad prayer' – Richard Foster.

Kari Jobe will sing today “I Am Not Alone,” Click on the picture to listen.

JULY 23 – D.I.Y?

Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant, for his descendants after him” - Genesis 17:19-20

Do you, like me, often line up with Abraham in the Do-It-Yourself Depot of life? Somethings broke? Here, I'll fix that. Someone's hurting? I can solve that problem. Someone's angry? No worry, I'll talk to them. Seems I have an unflagging desire to make right, all that seems wrong.

Abraham desperately wanted a “fix” for his childlessness and asked God to bless Ishmael. But God couldn't go along with Abraham's solution, God had a plan – He's promised, and it had to be fulfilled His way – Abraham and Sarah would have a son. In time God fulfilled His promise, but it wasn't without Abraham's regret seeding the ground for strife between Isaac and Ishmael. Abraham's do-it-yourself solution has repercussions down to this point in time.

What is the promise God has made to you? Are you attempting to fulfill that promise in your own way – your own time? Your own energy and strength? Through your own schemes and strategies? No matter how tempting and right a solution may appear, always, always, talk it over with the Lord. Compare your solution with His Word, His character, His spirit. Anything short of complete trust in God's instruction will ultimately lead to regrets and disappointment. “If only” living is not living at all.

Don't be a “I-Will-Fix-It.” Forget the D.I.Y. and take the predominant problem, or concern, that is on your mind and affecting your life, to the Professional.

Music for today is “Surely Our God is Able” - sung by the Gaithers. Click on the picture to join in

I think emotions can make us so fragile. They can take us on enormous rides mostly through territory that we woudn't necessarily want to travel.

At the traffic lights, to the annoyance of the driver behind me, I let another driver in. It was one of those junctions where the driver getting into the junction stood no chance unless someone stopped. On this ocassion that driver was me. The car following me wasn't pleased and he demonstrated his disapproval by high revving his engine and leaning on his horn. Slightly flustered I stood my ground and waiting for the acknowledgement of the driver I took the heat for. They simply drove away and sped off into the distance.

I was livid for more than a few moments especially as I had an irrate maniac (only slightly exaggerated trust me!) on my tail until I turned off. How easy would it have been just to raise a hand or nod a head in appreciation.

In life or church are we like that? Do we at all times remember to say thank you? If the young people are rude around us, is it because they are just part of 'that generation' or are they simply following our example?

A please or thank you, a none verbal acknowledgement of a kind deed can stabilise someones emotions. Make that game changer today be you.

Our song today is 'Loving God loving each other' by the Gaithers.

JULY 17-18 – Look for the light

“When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” - John 14:2

John Todd was very young when the deaths of his parents left him orphaned. He was one of several children, and, as was common in the early 1800s, he and all his siblings were farmed out to relatives. An aunt offered to take little John. She sent a servant by the name of Caesar to bring John to her. The boy climbed on the back of the horse, wrapped his small arms around the man, and set out for her house. His questions unveiled his fears.

“Will she be there? Oh, yes,” Caesar assured. “She'll be there waiting up for you.” “Will I like living with her?” “My son, you fall into good hands.” “Will she love me?” The servant was patient and soft in his reply. “Ah, she has a big heart.” “Do you think she will go to bed before we get there?” “Oh, no! She'll be sure to wait up for you. You'll see when we get out of these woods. You'll see her candle in the window.”

Sure enough, as they neared the house, John saw a candle in the window and his aunt standing in the doorway. As he shyly approached the porch. She reached down and kissed him and said “Welcome home!”

Young John Todd grew up in his aunt's care. She was a mother to him. When the time came for him to select a profession, he followed a call into the ministry. Years later, the role with his aunt was reversed. She sent news of her failing health and impending death. Here is what he wrote in reply:

My Dear Aunt,

Years ago, I left a house of death, not knowing where I was to go, whether anyone cared, whether it was the end of me. The ride was long, but the servant encouraged me, Finally I arrived to your embrace and a new home. I was expected, I felt safe. You did it all for me.

Now it is your turn to go. I'm writing to let you know, someone is waiting up, your room is all ready, the light is on, the door is open, and you're expected.

"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” - John 14:2-3

Guy Penrod presents us with an old favourite - “Softly and Tenderly.” Click on the picture to listen.

JULY 16 – The joy stealer

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome” - Genesis 32:28

God knows the devastating effects of worry on our lives. He knows how anxious thoughts can corrode our faith like acid. Worry robs us of joy; it steals our hope.

In His Sermon on the Mount, the most repeated phrase used by Jesus was “Do not worry.” He was wise to repeat this so many times, because He knew the devastating effect anxiety has on our faith, hope and joy. Perhaps this was why, in the same sermon, He said, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own” (Matthew 6:34). Contentment holds a secret – take one day at a time, not ten, not five, but one day.

Esau had every human right to disown his brother Jacob. Jacob hadn't been much of a brother to Esau. He had tricked him, taken advantage of him, and stolen from his older brother. Jacob eventually fled the country in fear, and the two brothers hadn't met or spoken for almost two decades. Then God intervend and told Jacob to return to his relatives (Genesis 31:3). Jacob obeyed and set off – despite his fear that Esau would probably kill him on sight. “But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. (Genesis 33:4).

Six of the Ten Commandments are about human relationships, but what about those relationships that seem beyond repair? Two key insights are in the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau – the first is obedience. Only God knows the condition of the human heart, and when it's the right time for reconciliation. Jacob returned because God told him to, and he obeyed.

Prayer is the second element. Jacob knew he would be unable to do it without God's help, so he prayed long and hard that the way of return would be made plain and clear.

Is there someone in your life who is longing for reconciliation with you? Are you resisting because you worry what their reaction to you will be? Don't let worry steal your hope, and joy. In faith take it to the Lord. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).

The choice of song today is “Be Not Afraid” - Marilla Ness.