Whilst having my afternoon walk I realised that I felt quite relaxed, peaceful and indeed joyful. I have had a good day in which I prepared for Sunday services and then finished off my book proposal and submitted it to a publisher. The reason I felt brave enough to do that was because of a glowing review by a psychotherapist who was moved by reading my story and looking at the accompanying creative work. She believed in me… and I believe that God has put her in my life to convey his affirmation of me publishing Are We There Yet?
But it isn’t just me that God believes in even when I doubt myself. God believes in YOU….. yes, you. If you are reading this then God believes you CAN develop and change…. be transformed into the wonderful you that is beneath layers of negative messages you’ve taken on board over your life.
He has transformed me into a church leader. How effective I will be in my present situation remains to be seen. I’ve only been here 2 years and we are in a period of transition and change. We are coping with a crisis and I have the job of leading a newly formed benefice of 4 churches into a new normal that nobody really knows will look like. I spent some time this afternoon reading research into on-line church and how we can start to work out the next steps – and indeed where those next steps might be leading us.
This is all a bit daunting and I am so glad that I have a team of people with me. I am also glad that God believes in me. He has brought me here. He knew what was coming as well as what has been. It is very tempting to just want to put the clock back and pretend nothing has happened. We can never do that. Life is always a forward movement into the unknown. God has been with me on my journey so far, why would he leave me now?
God has been with you on your life journey – even the times when he seemed absent or let horrible things happen to you. He will continue with you, he will never leave you or forsake you.
I’m not writing any more tonight. I want to go and do a decorated version of :
God believes in you, even when you don’t.
I had the sense that this message isn’t just for me, but for one of you…. it won’t be brilliantly done as I don’t have loads of time.
Elizabeth Jones' Diary 