Today we’re conditioned to think in terms of instant gratification. We’re the generation of lunch-time face lifts and text messaging; we hate to wait for anything. Think about the last time you had to wait for something to arrive by ‘snail mail’ or stand in line at the checkout counter.
Now, here’s where we get it wrong: we expect whatever God initiates through us to be completed while we are still around to see the end result. We don’t like it when He decides to continue the work through another person—or worse— another generation! But that’s how God works. When God reveals something to you it’s usually within the framework of what’s already taken place before you came on the scene.
He told Moses, ‘I am the God of your father…of Abraham…Isaac and…Jacob.’ God had made certain promises to Moses’ forefathers hundreds of years earlier, and now it was Moses’ time to take his place in the plan of God. Accepting that you’re a small link in a big chain can be humbling, but once Moses understood it he was able to connect with and focus on something bigger than himself.
‘It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.’ (1 Corinthians 3:7–8 NLT) It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you’re not concerned about who carries the torch over the finish line.
Num 25–26, Mark 7:1–13, Ps 37: 32–40, Pr 11:7–8
This morning was difficult! I had been dreading it since my move. I had to go back to court to have my house move all finalised. The last time i went to court, on February 2nd...i had promised myself that i would never have to step foot in that building...or sit in one of those cells again.
Today, i had to...at least it was not because i had done anything wrong. It was just to update stuff, because i had to move.
The probation department had told me that i would not have to sit in a cell again. They were wrong! It was not that bad. Once again, i sat there knowing that was the last time i would have to be there. There were two ladies in the cell with me, who were by far worse off than me. One had been bailed to Odyssey House...to their in patient rehab centre. She is homeless and that was the only place that they could bail her to. Until this morning, she had been told there were no beds there for her, and she had prepared herself to go to prison. The other woman, was an Asian woman, who had been in hiding from immigration, after exhausting all her efforts to get NZ citizenship, even after applying for refugee status....for NINE years! Yes, you read that correctly. She had been living in hiding from immigration for 9 years, and they had finally found her. Understandably, she did not get bail, and was off to prison.
Imagine having to live in hiding for 9 years? I only know that much about her because i was sitting in the court gallery when she was called up. She apparently, does not speak English, still, after being here since the mid 90's as she had an interpreter in court.
Anyway...time went pretty fast in that cell. I had a long conversation with the girl that was off to Odyssey House. I hope that the words that i said to her, will be remembered. I hope that i gave her a bit of hope. Maybe that was the reason that i had to sit in that cell today. She described to me, how she feels like her friends try to pull her in one direction, when she knows that she needs to go in another direction...the good direction. I told her how i had to cut every single person that i knew out of my life, when i quit that world and fixed my life. I told her that was the only way, because i knew that i could never be in a situation again, where methamphetamine was accessible to me. I told her that if it was sitting there in front of us, i would probably do it, despite knowing how destructive it was to my life...and that she probably needs to leave her friends in her past and find new ones. I told her to look after herself while in the rehab facility, and to not concentrate on making new friends in there as they have the same issues that she has and the potential to drag her back.
She seemed amazed when i told her that i was there just to have my address changed. She asked who i lived with and i told her my daughters. She seemed amazed that i had my own home, that i live in with my daughters.
This afternoon...i feel more grateful than ever, for everything that i have.
Remember how i always see someone that i know every single time i have been to court? Well today, i thought, was going to be an exception. That was until i was signing everything, and about to leave, and i heard someone yell out "Billy's mum!!!" from behind me. hahahaha i could not BELIEVE it. I walked out of the room where i had signed my papers and past a cell where the voice had come from...and there was one of Billy's cousins from Steve's side. We both laughed so hard. I have not seen that kid since he came and stayed a weekend with us, when Danny and I were living in Mt Wellington. He is a good kid. I always had a soft spot for him...i wonder what kind of trouble he is in. I hope it is not too bad...as i really like that kid. He is 3 months younger than Billy. I have known him since he was born. He and Billy grew up together.
I can't believe i heard "Billy's mum!!!" yelled out to me in the cells! haha...gotta laugh. At least i didn't see any crackheads, hookers, or drug dealers that i knew!
Later!
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