Tapping in to life’s potential

Yesterday, I was reminded of the necessity of others and living in community. The water pressure in the kitchen sink had previously gone, so just a trickle of water was coming out whenever the tap was turned on. A few months ago I saw a friend, living in the same building, who said that the same was happening to her kitchen tap. Months went by and we happened to have a conversation about the taps again on Friday. She asked if my tap was still causing an issue and when I replied yes, she said that the maintenance team had been to look at her tap and had found the solution and that she could come and fix mine for me. When she arrived, she dismantled the tap head and took out a tiny filter. She cleaned it, replaced it and then turned on the tap again. I was amazed to see that the water began to flow freely and was no longer a dribble- and that it had been such a small but easy fix!

In life we can limp along, not living to our fullest because of the filter that we see things through; things that we have done or have been done to us. It can take something or someone coming into our lives and reminding us who (and whose) we are that stops us from looking at life through a filter of bitterness, anger or sadness. Sometimes, it might be a loving word, but other times, what might be required is a ‘tough love’ moment. Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) tells us, ‘As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.’

A problem that I thought was down to water pressure and that I thought I would have to live with for the duration, ended up having a simple fix, and it came from someone who had been through what I had. We are told told of the value of a friend in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV), that ‘Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.’ Both of these verses remind us that we all have blindspots and sometimes need help; that having people in our lives who can ‘sharpen’ us will help us to grow.

I’m currently reading ‘Strong’ by Lisa Bevere. In today’s devotional she wrote, ‘When we connect with other people who have already gone through the struggle we are presently in, we are encouraged to have faith. We step out in faith and dare to believe that just as God was faithful to them, He will be faithful to us.’

The tap incident reminded me that, not only can we learn from others’ experiences, we can use these to propel our faith. When someone has been through the struggle that we are going through, and we see that they have not only come out the other side, but come out stronger and more resilient, it serves as an encouragement to us to keep going. Then, as we reach the end of that battle, or at least further along, it allows us to be that same encouragement to someone else.

At this time of lockdown, be outward looking, check in with a friend, pray for someone else and, if you are feeling low or lonely, reach out to someone- you are not alone.

Stretch and Grow: Part 2

Photo credit: Fine Cooking

There was another in the fire, standing next me. There was another in the water, holding back the sea.

(Another in the Fire, Hillsong United)

Like countless others, this morning I spent some time reflecting on what a year 2020 has been. The more I thought about it, the more the words, stretch and grow came into my head, as I looked back on some of the challenges that we have faced, or seen others go through this year; racially, emotionally, spiritually, financially, politically and health-wise. As I continued to think about stretching and growing, I started to think about times when stretching can be beneficial, for example, when exercising and when making bread.

I was reminded about the kneading process in bread making (thank you years of The Great British Bake Off watching!) and how intensely some bread dough has to be pummelled, pushed, pulled, rolled, folded, slapped, squished and squashed in order to work the gluten to make for a better loaf. Kneading helps to create structure and strength in the dough, according to The Spruce Eats, giving rise (no pun intended) to a more springy, supple and smooth dough. Under-kneaded dough won’t rise properly because it doesn’t have the strength and elasticity to capture the gases produced by yeast. (Sohla El- Waylly, Bon Apétit, April 2020)

Although 2020 was a difficult year in many ways, it was incredible to see people coming together virtually and in other creative ways, standing up for one another and showing support for the NHS. Lockdown in 2020 helped many people to re-evaluate what was important and subsequently to have the strength and flexibility to re-focus on or realise goals.

Back in October 2014, I wrote a post entitled Stretch and Grow, detailing how going through challenges was often a catalyst for growing people’s faith and showing us how far our faith roots went down. The last words I wrote in that post were, ‘Like dough, in order to grow, we need to be stretched.’

I realised that this statement still stands true today. 2020 was not the year that many of us hoped for or dreamed about, but whatever you have faced, it will almost certainly have moulded you, strengthened you, grown you and made you more willing to fight for what you believe in or hold dear.

In the bible, there are many stories of people who went through trials and testing times and emerged from the other side of the fire stronger, more focused, more resilient and with better ‘bounce-back-a-bility’, because they knew that they were not alone and had a hope that they were able to anchor to.

My hope for all of us is that we would rise properly and reach our full potential in 2021 because of the stretching we endured in 2020. Happy New Year!

Run the race marked out for you- part 2

‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’ Hebrews 12:1-3

Recently I took part in my first race since I returned from my travels and my first run in around 3 months. I decided to enter a trail run, which I had raced in before, and which I knew would be challenging. The race itself was difficult as it included steep inclines and down hill slopes, which were slick and muddy from recent rainfall. As I raced, I was conscious that I needed to set a steady pace if I wanted to achieve a good time, but to also run slowly enough so that I didn’t lose my footing. Throughout the race, I kept focused; taking it slower on the hills, and on the downward muddy sections, as I was conscious that I wasn’t wearing the right kind of shoes. Any seasoned runner will testify that it is wise to wear trail shoes, which traditionally have a thicker sole and stronger grip than usual running shoes; making them perfect for running on mixed terrain. Despite knowing this, like the fool I am, I decided to run in my usual running shoes.

As I was (rather gingerly!) running, I couldn’t help but think about how just as we need the right equipment when we are running, we need the right equipment when we are on a walk of faith. God gives us the tools we need for the journey. The amazing thing is that he knows exactly what we need and will provide that in the shape of a lesson learned or a person that he brings into our lives. If we try to go on our own journey with our own equipment, we aren’t properly prepared and we will stumble.

Our race in life is going to have uphill battles, where we struggle, and there are going to be parts where things are easier and it seems that we are free wheeling. At these times in particular we have to be aware of attack, and be careful that complacency doesn’t come into our faith life, or we will fall. We need to constantly be persevering and pressing into God. Early on in my faith journey I naively thought that once I had conquered one battle – that would be it; that I would be ‘set for life’. It’s been a steep learning curve, but by God’s grace, he keeps bringing me through trials. I’ve learned that I need to be on constant alert against complacency and to keep striving to have a deeper relationship with Him.

During the race at one point I looked behind me to see if anyone was coming up to overtake me. As I did so, I was reminded of Lot’s wife. Despite warnings, she looked back, and suffered the consequences for doing so (Genesis 19:26). Looking back at where we’ve been can be an unnecessary distraction, as we can unwittingly fix our eyes on our past mistakes, or on what others are doing, rather than on Jesus. To run a good race, we need to keep looking ahead at the course planned out in front of us.

On the home stretch of the race, the compère was calling people’s numbers to encourage them as they crossed the finish line. It was a real boost, but I couldn’t help thinking that because God knows us each intimately, at the end of our race for him it will be even better. To God, we aren’t just a number. He has our names engraved on the palm of his hands (Isaiah 49:16).