But we don't want to give you that...

After an "interesting" couple of weeks, Lynley and I have now been appointed to the Failsworth Corps in the Central North Division, just a couple of miles closer to Manchester than our original appointment at Oldham Roundthorn.

There have been a number of lessons to take from this experience:

(1) Not to get ahead of ourselves. We had visited the appointment, seen the hall, toured the house, driven round the community, prayed for a vision, and were in the process of working some of those issues through when we were called into the Principal's office to be given our second appointment. I think it's a bit like buying and selling houses - it's not actually yours until you show up and collect the keys. In the meantime, there's a task to be done where we are now. Perhaps if we get ahead of ourselves we get ahead of God? We would have gone happily to Oldham; we will go happily to Failsworth - we have a sense of confidence and peace that despite the real sense of frustration in the last couple of weeks, God's hand is in this, and He will place us where He needs us to be.

(2) Don't take your children to see houses that you may not end up living in. We may be at peace with the situation we find ourselves in, but that doesn't alter the fact that Christian, particularly, and Caitlin less so, have been unsettled by the revelation that things aren't always as definite as they may appear.

(3) What to do with words of encouragement and affirmation that we received in connection with our original appointment? Still working that through, especially now that we are receiving more of the same in connection with our latest appointment.

All that aside, we are very happy to be going to Failsworth and are very excited by all the possibilities before us. As we've been preparing Easter Sunday material for Forestdale and Croydon this week, both Lynley and I have started to think about Easter in Failsworth next year - although I remind myself that lesson 1 above still applies. It was good to speak to a couple of the church leaders on the phone last week, and a great thrill to discover that a couple of them had found their way to this Blog site and left a message. It was so helpful to receive their encouragement and the promise of their prayers. That said, I am now a little conscious that they are out there reading some of my ramblings before they have a chance to get to know me!

When we first came to college we wrote a few lines each for the Salvationist. In my comment I quoted from a song the line, "Where I cannot see I'll trust" (SASB 489). I was reminded of that same line in a card we received from a friend this week.

God is doing His thing in Oldham, Failsworth and William Booth College. It's an amazing thing that someone like me gets to join in.

He is Able.