A jumble of thoughts this morning. Sorry.

Yesterday Helen was due to continue her teaching series on spiritual disciplines (prayer, Bible reading etc.) and her theme for the morning was going to be ‘simplicity’. It didn’t happen. We had also invited Rosey to share about the work she is involved in (actually, for ‘involved in’ read ‘set up’) in Bangladesh – giving an education to some of the poorest street children. The need is great; the numbers touched by them small – but just like the starfish on the shore, at least some get a chance in life.

As Rosey set up her stall of bags and scarves and colourful cards, I filled-up with tears. Was it God or was it just me? But in that moment (being the meeting leader for the morning) I decided that Helen should preach next week instead and that we should give Rosey, and more importantly her project, the time she deserved. She shared passionately about the young children they started teaching over ten years ago, children who are now able to read and write, some who even have an ambition of going to university and some who run the schools for them now that Rosey and her husband have settled back in the UK. (The best story shared was of the girl who is taught in the school and on her own initiative has now gone on to set up her own little school for a dozen or so other children.)

Also there yesterday was a granny who had just returned from spending time with her family down south where her daughter-in-law had given birth to twins very early. Tiny and struggling though they are (but thankfully getting stronger as each day passes) they have been born into such wealth (in world terms) and will benefit from the services this country offers its citizens.

As I prayed at my desk before setting off to our meeting hall I looked out of the window and enjoyed the splendour of creation. And yet I struggled to enjoy it too – for I could not help but remember that that same creation has caused such devastation over in Japan. To enjoy – to feel blessed by living in such wondrous surroundings, seemed wrong somehow when there would be such suffering on the other side of the world.

I thought that starting off the meeting with Romans 8 would be good – the passage that speaks of creation groaning while waiting patiently for the revelation of the already-renewed sons and daughters of God. I read it, faltering as I fought to keep my sobs under control.

A jumble of thoughts – and yet as I read them back to myself I can see a thread. That was my Sunday morning. How was yours?

Rosey's chariry can be found here.