A HAPPY NEW YEAR

What can I share with you as we step into yet another New Year? The word God is impressing on me is to face it with ‘confidence and joy.’

 

I have been going through a great sadness as my beloved Brother in law, Pastor Les Davies, has been dying. Glory for him, but a great loss for us who were close to him. And then there is the ever persistent challenge of old age, for Facebook will soon remind you that I have a birthday coming up; while always we hear terrible news of suffering around the world. So how can we obey this word?

 

God first told me to ‘face the future with confidence and joy,’ as I was about to continue my journey into the remote Highlands of Papua New Guinea. It had taken great courage to leave my family and everything I knew, to leave UK and fly to Australia. Staying there for a month I became overwhelmed by the thought of the vast distances that lay not only behind, but still before me.

 

But now God was asking me to step out with confidence and joy. If you had said it, I would have replied, ‘It is all very well for you to talk.’ But it wasn’t you, but God, who promises to always be with us. It is he who enabled me then, and  he will enable each of us to face whatever lies before us in this New Year.

 

Now, it is not the vast distances across the Pacific and the mountains of Papua New Guinea that I am facing, but just the drive, partly motorway, up the Swansea Valley to attend my dear Brother in law’s funeral.    Surely the Lord will provide someone to drive and look after this frail little old lady?

 

Yes, he is well able, but I know God does not want me to think of myself as a frail little old lady. ‘As my days, so shall my strength be.’ Moses didn’t begin his ministry until he was 80 and at 120 his strength had not abated, so God is reminding me, still only 83 years young, not to think of giving up but to share with you his admonition, to  ‘face the future with confidence and joy.’

 

A whole New Year, but first, just this day

To face with joy as we go on our way

We’ve fresh air to breath and a glad new song

To sing, and new fears we must bid ‘Be-gone.’

New friends to greet but our old ones to treasure

And always new blessings in richest of measure

So we welcome this year knowing life is for living

A gift from our God, always loving and giving.

Happy New Year,

          Pauline

CHRISTMAS AGAIN?

Christmas – a time so full of memories. It can be a wonderful time, but for some it is a very lonely and therefore a painful time.

 

When I first took ‘the wings of the morning’ and found myself, a ‘Singleton’, in the Highlands of New Guinea, it could have been tough, but we have a wonderful God who wants to teach us contentment.

 

Since Mary and I had left the religious movement in which we had been brought up, Christmas had become a difficult time, but there had been healing over the years, and I was looking forward to the gift of us four siblings being together with our Mother before I left this land, maybe for good. Alas, it did not work out.

 

Now, living in the wonderful mountains of New Guinea, and hearing the ‘bello’ calling us to church, I realised just how good God had been in permitting that sad, tearful Christmas day back in the ‘old country.’ God now was teaching me that Christmas is not dependant on family gatherings. It is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

 

These people, called out of a stone age civilisation, and needing and loving the same Saviour as we do, were now my family. The other single missionaries, mostly from down under, in a special way, were family too and after  joyful service in the church we celebrated together. Godliness with contentment was God’s special gift to me that Christmas.

 

‘No, I don’t mind being alone for Christmas,’ I told my colleagues in Ghana, some years later, who were planned elsewhere. But then an invitation to visit colleagues up north  seemed a tempting offer.  I set out for the bus station, but failed to get suitable transport.  Waiting long hours in the bustle and confusion, with soldiers shouting and threatening, I was given a little insight into what it was like for Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem. I returned to my village disappointed, but God had a special, if different Christmas for me.

 

I was able to accompany our local Ghanaian pastor and his wife as they set out to visit some of their far flung churches.

 

No it was not a Christmas of indulgence and feasting. The roads were long and dusty, and when we arrived unannounced, the service might be over, but the people soon gathered again and what a time of joy and celebration. Our Saviour, born in poverty and laid in a manger, was present among us, our risen Lord.

 

But what about a Christmas dinner? I was starving.

 

We stopped at a wayside stall and the pastor bought us a coconut each. I had never had such a delicious drink. It satisfied my hunger and thirst. Jesus’ birthday had been different, but special that year too.

 

My own family are too frail to gather with me now, as they have done of recent years, but Joel left me the heritage of a loving family and I am loved and welcome in their hearts and home. And I have a very special Christmas blessing of being able to go  into the schools to tell the children about Jesus’ birthday. Today I have been telling how some mother in Bethlehem, hearing of the baby in the manger, sent the children to say they would make room for the Holy family in their home. (We know someone did, for by the time the wise men arrived they entered into a house.)

And we too can make room for Jesus in our hearts and homes.

 

So, whatever our circumstances, I pray we will all make room for Jesus in our situations, and that we will be surprised by the joy of his love and provision, and yes, his very presence.

Remembrance

A hundred years since the declaration of that great war, intended to end all wars!

We do well to remember. How can we help but be touched as we hear of so many fathers, sons and sweet hearts becoming ‘cannon fodder’? So many who set out in high hope, thinking they were about to engage in some great adventure.

But sadly it was not the end, for warfare still continues in various parts of the globe. And as I listened to the moving tributes and remembrances I thought of others who had fallen, stirred to set out on high adventure, knowing they too were involved in warfare, not for Queen and Country, but as part of the Lord’s army, engaged in driving back darkness and fear and making known the name of Jesus, the light of the world.

 

We lost gifted young men in the pioneering days of our missionary enterprise in Papua New Guinea, mothers and babies dying too because families were willing to live in these remote places. We still hear of tragedy among the skilled and daring pilots who fly in these and other dangerous places.

In this season of remembrance, God is reminding me that we all are in his army,  engaged in warfare against the powers of evil. I trust I am still a missionary, though I no longer travel overseas, climb mountains or learn foreign languages.

We must be on our guard, whatever our age or circumstances. There is armour we must wear, and a sword we must learn to use against the enemy.

How moving to see the poppies filling the moat of the Tower of London, and the petals falling, each representative of a life so sadly lost, that we might live in freedom.

We do well to remember, but there is another occasion for remembrance, when we eat bread and drink wine together. Jesus asked us to do this in remembrance of the life he was about to pour out. It is sad if the Communion service becomes a formality as we partake week by week, but equally sad if it allowed to be pushed aside as an afterthought.

Jesus asked us to break the bread and drink the wine that we might never ever forget how great the price he paid for our deliverance from evil, and how wonderful  the victory he won over sin and death and the grave.

Some may find a life of adventure easier to face than a quieter life style, but a desk job might be equally important in winning a war. Let’s not think our lives unimportant if we are not called to do exploits. What is important is winning the war, so whether it is a martyr’s death or the long steady tramp to glory, we must fix our eyes on Jesus, and keep our spiritual armour on for, yes, the battle is the Lord’s and if we are his, we are in his triumphal procession, part of his army.   

Great? Britain

It was the recent debate over the Scottish issue that got me thinking about my identity.

As a child I knew I was part of the great British Empire. Empire Day was a great event in school, but gradually the red has disappeared from much of our globe, and we are grateful that our Queen still heads up a commonwealth. So, are we still Great Britain?

Evidently it wasn’t our empire that gave us the name ‘great,’ but it was to distinguish Britain from Brittany. Well yes, we are greater than this even smaller land.

It was when I was living ‘Down Under,’ that I became aware I had come from UK, the United Kingdom, though I was teased as being a Pommy, (a Prisoner of Old Mother England). But it was returning, after five years in New Guinea, and taking my report around the churches,  that I realised that everyone would not be happy to be referred to as English, even if it was our common language.

Since marrying Joel, I am proud to proclaim myself Welsh by marriage, but I  have found I belong to a people fiercely determined to preserve their own language, many of whom seem still resentful of the domination and oppression of the English,  perhaps not only in centuries past.

Our Queen may not be the only one relieved to know we can still claim to be a United Kingdom, though this may not be an end to the controversy.

English by birth, I know  great good came to our land when we shared King James with the Scots. Foremost had to be an end to the skirmishes and fighting over our borders, but what a blessing was the King James Bible. I, for one, still use it to memorise God’s word.

But is it just selfishness, and because of my English background that I have a fear of our unity being destroyed and each of us going our own way? It seems inherent in us all, since the fall, that we want our own way and have this fear of being in subjection to another. Today not many women are willing to promise to obey. And I know a toddler whose first sentence was, ‘Me do it,’ refusing help in putting on her shoes, though she could not manage it, however long she struggled. Another child, born without thumbs, would refuse help when she undoubtedly needed it, insisting she could do it, though her jumbled words came out as, ‘I do it my byself.’

Many of those countries once counted as colonies would never relinquish their independence, though in their hearts knowing there were far less tribal disputes, and a more secure economy when  others had authority.

  There is a Ghanaian folk tale which seems relevant when there is conflict over this question of unity. 

A Father, anxious that his son should not leave the family farm, challenged him to gather a bundle of sticks. Each stick was easily snapped. Now he asked his son to tie them into a bundle. The son found them impossible to break.

I believe there is strength in our remaining as a United Kingdom. But why am I writing about this? I am somewhat ignorant where politics are concerned, and probably there are many sides to this issue, but I find myself challenged by Jesus’ words, ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God.’

Christ is our king, and though some of us are called to get involved with politics and issues of present society, above all, we must seek his kingdom and proclaim one Lord, one faith, one baptism.

But we see many divisions, splits and splinter groups, even within the Body of the Christian church. With Paul we say, ‘Is Christ divided?’ Many of us have sought to break away and build our own church, so how can we help to bring us together again?

Paul’s words to the Ephesians are ringing in my ears, to ‘keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace.’ (Eph. 4:3) I’m glad God doesn’t ask us to make this unity, just to keep it.

We are commanded to pray for kings, so may I be obedient, praying especially for our Queen, and those in authority in our United Kingdom.  May I join with my faithful blog-readers with all my heart to seek first the Kingdom of God, and do my  part to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace.

LIFE – LIKE A JIG-SAW PUZZLE?

If you visit me you may find a jigsaw on the go, taking up half of my living room table.

I had thought I was no good at jigsaws, until I married Joel and we enjoyed doing them together. He always took the hardest corner. But since his death I have found jigsaws therapeutic.

Therapeutic, you may ask? Yes, firstly they remind me that there is a big picture. Though our box may seem full of a jumble of colours and shapes, we know that eventually we will see them fit together to make a

beautiful picture.

And life can seem like that. Just a jumble of circumstances, and many that we would reject and feel should have no place in our lives. But we know life is not the result of some chance cosmic explosion. Sometimes we are able to look back and see that God had been there, planning our pathway. But even if we cannot understand, we can trust God and know that  one day we will see and thank him for the way he has led us.

Do you start your jigsaws with the edge? I try to, but sometimes I cannot get it right and have to give up and make a start wherever I can, perhaps gathering pieces of a certain colour. Maybe it is a door, or a flowering bush. We must start somewhere, and I find that as that part of the picture emerges, somehow it leads on to something else close by. So in life, there is always somewhere we can make a start, however small, and one step will lead on to another.

I was lent an amazing jigsaw, full of Christian symbols. The  outline was of a dove of peace, an olive branch in his beak. You can imagine the edge was perhaps the last part I could find, but it was worth the wait.

We like to have our borders all safely delined, but the further we go on our Christian journey, the harder become the lessons of faith. God is teaching me to  have confidence in the Master Artist, knowing he has already planned the big picture, though we cannot yet see it.

And now I have a confession to make. I have a mug which holds some spare pieces of jigsaw. Sadly that means that somewhere an incomplete jigsaw was put away, or maybe thrown out. It is spoiled unless every piece is put in place.

And so God gently reminds us that though we may feel we don’t contribute much to other lives, yet we all need each other. Black pieces may not look at all interesting, and can be very difficult to fit in, but they are necessary in the artist’s painting, and so each one of us is vital in God’s picture.

I may leave the boring looking pieces to the end, but how happy I am when at last each one is fitted in, and yes, now the edge that had seemed so impossible is  in place, framing a beautiful picture.

And may I share a word of caution. Like so many other good things in our lives, it is possible to become addicted. I try to allow myself no more than an hour a day. That way my pleasure lasts, and I don’t have a stiff neck either.

As it says in the Good Book, ‘You need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the completion.’ (The Message – Heb. 10:36) So - Don’t let’s give up. There is a big picture, and we are all part of it.    

‘THE CHILDREN GOD HAS GIVEN ME’

This is not another story from far away and long ago, though, yes, it was on top of a mountain in Papua New Guinea that God first gave me this word. But God continues to remind me of it, and of his call in my life.

Recently, some of us attended a ‘Sticky Faith’ conference. I, with you, wondered what it was all about. Run by Scripture Union, it concerned giving our children a faith which will keep them in the family of God, even when they leave primary school, or go out into the big wide world. I was encouraged to hear that it needs, not just trained teachers, but every member, to keep them in the family. So, no retirement. We each are needed.

I went from there to the Ablaze conference and through various ministries, God continued to speak about the importance of letting our children know that they are loved and special, and of never hindering them in any way from realising God’s purpose for them in this generation

When I answered the call to PNG, instead of  teaching our Missionary Kids as I thought, I was not only taking a  class in the mission school, but God surprised me with other responsibilities. Soon after I arrived, hearing there was a week of Bible School for the workers, I asked if I might speak to them. Taking a lump of fool’s gold I had found, I spoke about the treasure hid in the field, and how we need to work to bring the wonderful resources of our children to the Lord.

It was a great privilege to be involved in training the Sunday School teachers, both there and later on a national scale in Ghana, and as well as the joy of teaching the children I was always delighted to be able to speak to whole congregations about the importance of ‘the child in the midst.’

Back in UK, I had the opportunity to teach about children’s work, not just to Sunday School teachers, but others training for leadership. One, now pastor, told me, ‘We learned that children are important.’

Before I came into the Apostolic church or knew much about missionaries I had heard God’s call to ‘go into the villages,’ which, I guess, is how I found myself on this mountain. Having roughed it, sleeping in a smoky grass hut, with rats and fleas to disturb me, I was feeling the worst for wear.

I went out into the sunshine and into the church, and opened my Bible to read this verse in Hebrews, ‘I and the children God has given me.’ God continues to speak this and other words to confirm his call when I get discourages or think I am getting too old to continue my work in the schools or teaching Kids Club, a privilege indeed.

But how wonderful! Each one of us is needed in this great work of bringing our children into the family of God. Let us remember, they are our children.

Independence Day - 4th July

It was actually the 3^rd and not the 4th of July, but here I was, taking part in an Independence Day celebration. How had this come about?

 
Because of the mountain ranges we rarely had chance to meet up with our wonderful Lutheran colleagues while in Papua New Guinea, but it was when I was living alone as a single missionary in Ghana that some American SIM Southern Baptists were my neighbours and became Just 3 miles up the road, I passed their houses,  on my way into the city of Kumasi.
 

I was in a language class for ex pats at the university when this couple approached me and, seeing I was serious too, suggested we got together to have some extra lessons with our teacher. This led on to meeting up with other families and to precious times of fellowship. It was a great blessing for me  to attend a Bible study with some of the wives. Though I loved the Ghanaians, sometimes it meets a need to be with people of our own cultural background.

They became close and very caring friends. It was another couple who took me into their own home to care for when I was ill. And yes, I was even invited to a family celebration for Mark and Amy, their youngest missionaries. I was first taken to meet them the day Amy had given birth to their third child.  It was at a time of great political upheaval and insecurity and, unable to face the hassle of queueing for hours for petrol I  had found myself ‘confined to barracks.’ It was only later I realised that it was  God who had shut me up to protect me from the frightening situations that were all around.

But it was during this time that there was this special anniversary to celebrate. Their parents, seasoned missionaries, were visiting but had arrived to share all the hardships of the coup. Nevertheless, they had arranged to have a celebratory meal in the prestigious City Hotel  for this special occasion. Unbelievably they came first to invite me, and then to fetch me, insisting I share in their joy. I felt they were giving of their life blood in using the precious petrol they had had to queue so long for, but oh, what an oasis in the wilderness was that happy celebration.

But yet, in all their wonderful kindness, there was one celebration from which I was excluded, and that was 4^th of July. Yes, Independence Day. That was very specially for Americans.

But now here I was, included. We always look forward to their Ladies Night, held in the Vine Christian Fellowship the week that our visitors from Louisiana are over, but remembering my experience in Ghana, it was of special significance to me to  find that  this wonderful team had made it an Independence Day celebration. The Vine was decorated with flags, balloons, tables laden with gifts and cakes, all decorated with stars and stripes. There were activities, gifts, and a programme of song and moving testimonies all to assure us of our welcome in the Kingdom of God. We were not excluded even though our speech, and customs too, must seem very strange to them

How moving it was to hear them singing their national anthem, and we shared their joy and pride as we were united in knowing we are one family in God’s kingdom, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

The years have passed since our friends in Louisiana, and especially the pastor and members of the First Baptist Church of  Monroe were burdened to hear of the terrible decline of hope among our young people and proliferation of suicides. Prayer led them to action, and Pastor Alex Ashton has been used as the link with us in the Bridgend district. Year after year  a party of fifty or more have come over, all at their own expense, to spend a week visiting the schools, churches and care homes;  and with the support of local churches, taking outreach services, providing wonderful opportunities to reach the unchurched and make Christ known.

Not as old as me, maybe, but there is an amazing mix of old and young, singles and families, some even with grandchildren now coming to join in the ministry. We look forward to ongoing testimonies as we have heard their amazing stories.

God bless you, our dear friends from the deep South of America, even today as you are going into the schools and care homes, and have this outreach in the Pavilion tonight. When we meet up in heaven, may we hear of many who have entered the kingdom through your ministry to us over here in Wales, and a very special thank you for sharing your Independence Day celebrations with us. God bless America and us here in Wales too.