st already have been well over 80 years old, and now 40 years later it is beginning to look OLD for a tree that has an expected life of only some eighty years. It is an Indian Mahogany tree, and has all these years added something special to the garden and the Image of Testimony Faith Homes.It is a tree known for HEALING - it's leaves being used for balms, ointments, and elixirs for the cure and relief of a seemingly endless list of ills. And right in the Centre of everything - it always reminds me of the Tree of Life, and of course of our Lord Himself. It is a spreading tree with hugely strong and sheltering branches. And those branches provide friendly protection and security to great variety of birds both great and small. I fell in love with that tree the moment I saw it, and it has been a 'romance' that has given me so much solace and comfort and even encouragement through the years. It is ageing now. It is shedding bark, its branching sagging and bowing - yet it is still such an inspiration. I hope I might also be an 'inspiration' as I also continue to age, and begin to sag a little here and there. I hope Testimony Faith Homes will also continue be a place of Shelter and Healing to the many that come to seek for it.
LAST WEEK I could not get to the computer to write up the Blog. Our dear friend Philip Darby, Vicar of St. Andrew's, Ashburton Devon, and myself were both laid low with a rather vigorous bacterial infection of our bowels. Not at all pleasant and rather vicious. We think we picked it up from drinking water (unintentionally) from a well whilst visiting a rural children's home that has just been opened some 20 kilometres away. Philip was here 22 years ago, which was when we first met, and we have been in touch on and off ever since. We also met his wife, Joan at that time, and later in 1994 we also visited them at Ipplepen where they then served the Lord. It has been such a delight to have him with us - apart from the diarrhea - and also again, through his friendship, to be in touch with those of St.Andrews who have been encouraged to pray and support us. Our discomfort commenced on Thursday evening, 11th until the day before yesterday - though we are still not quite back to normal.
Philip will be our Preacher tomorrow in our Fellowship Meeting. He was also Guest Speaker at the Eldoret Anglican Diocese 25th Anniversary earlier this month.
When he arrived he brought a gift from St. Andrews. He had not warned us about it, and he did not know that when he arrived our funds were yet again depleted! What a treasure to know that BEFORE we had asked the Lord had yet again spoken to those who could hear His voice and be moved by His Spirit to supply our need. Oh JOY to know such constant care!
Hope you do not get bored with me constantly recounting it and glorying in it.
NOW WHO IS THIS? Not ME, but I do feel like he seems to be feeling quite often. Of course this is an appropriate photo now that the World Stock Markets are all over the place and there is so much financial uncertainty and alarm
"What can I do now? What will happen next? Where is everything going???"
Anxiety, fear and worry, are overtaken by APPREHENSION. The young stockbroker's HANDS give him away. Very expressive hands that convey the growing TENSION as he watches the Board and considers the options and the dire possibilities before him. Tension that might easily give way to desperation and despair.
And of course all this has happened before a
nd we know that in the 1929 Wall Street Crash, people came to the end of their ability to cope with the situation. Men and women jumped from multi storey buildings, threw themselves under trains and cars, and into rivers. Man died. Many were ruined without hope of reparation to face the remainder of their lives in poverty. The world shivered down its spine, and looked for ways out.Recently I came across this little hymn. I don't know who wrote it; it had no known author. It was entitled FEAR NOT LITTLE FLOCK.
Fear not little flock from the cross to the throne,
From death into life He went for His own;
All power in earth, all power above
Is given to Him for the flock of His Love
Only believe, only believe;
All things are possible, only believe,
Only believe, only believe;
All things are possible, only believe.
Fear not, little flock, He goeth ahead,
Your Shepherd selecteth the path you must tread;
The waters of Marah He'll sweeten for thee,
He drank all the bitter in Gethsemane.
Fear not, little flock, whatever your lot,
he enters all rooms, "the doors being shut,"
He never forsakes; He never is gone,
So count on His Presence in darkness and dawn.
I LIKED IT! Very simple, very plain BUT so true - for those who are called by His Name. If He IS our Shepherd then there is nothing to fear, and nothing to be apprehensive about. HE will walk with us and He will bring us through into a SETTLED place
We have 140 children here with us. NONE of them are disturbed by what is going on in the world just now. They are totally unaware as they enjoy the Shelter, the Food, the Freedom of their lives. Children are like that - and it is their prerogative to trust their parent for everything.. When the parent fails to provide that carefree security something has gone wrong. GOD, our Father wants US (those that say they know HIM) to be children in front of Him, wants us to be SO secure in His Presence that we have not the slightest apprehension for our safety - just quiet, settled, peace to enjoy.
THINGS will certainly seek us out to disturb and to upset us - as that stomach bug came to Philip and me this week! BUT He will bring us through if we turn and consciously yield ourselves into His Keeping. AND having done that, to go away and carry on with life, BELIEVING that He has taken care of the problem, no matter what it is. This is NOT fatalistic - it is FAITH. Without it we cannot wholly please Him, BY it we can jump over the highest wall and run through a TROOP of the enemy!
Have an overcoming, victorious, DARING week.
Lovingly
John and Esther
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