Friday 3 February 2017

God's Jigsaw


I sometimes think that discerning what God is up to is a bit like being given just a few pieces of a complicated jigsaw, and no straight bits!   At the home were I stayed last week, a huge unfinished jigsaw lay on a table in the lounge, challenging people to put the next piece in. Over the course of the weekend, it became for me a metaphor of the Body of Christ.
 
 
Let me explain.  Along with Sally, a gifted musician, and Julian, an experienced sound recordist, I was down in Cornwall recording the first of my meditation CDs.  It was a rich and rewarding experience and the project taught me a lot about the Body of Christ.  It was a perfect example of how we all have different gifts which, when we work together, can produce something so much bigger than the sum of the individual parts; just as, when the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle are the perfect fit for each other we begin to see a bigger, more vibrant picture.
 
So the CD recordings are underway!  I am in awe of how God brought together such talented and Christ-centred people to support me. The recording of the first CD was completed during three days in Truro.  It's been a busy month, during which I've slept in 6 different beds and travelled well over 1,000 miles.  And having sat behind a microphone for the best part of three days, I now have a very healthy respect for radio and recording artists!
 
Thank you - to all who prayed us through the recording process - to Sally for her anointed playing, her very hard work, and for her determination to make the recording the best that it can be - to Julian for his generosity, his immense technical skills and for keeping us all calm under pressure - to Fenella for keeping us well fed and well rested - to Audri for her creative ideas and enthusiasm for the related artwork - and to an anonymous supporter who blessed me with a relaxing stay in a top notch hotel afterwards.
 
Please continue to pray for Julian, as he now performs the complex technical task of editing all that we've recorded.  Please pray for Audri, as she goes into hospital for a planned operation.  And please pray for me as I now change focus for a while and turn my attention to preparing some retreats.  My next event will be a retreat for a group of Franciscans, at the end of the month.
 
And in the meantime, if you come across any jigsaws, just remember  ...   we're each a unique and important piece in God's Grand Jigsaw and the Kingdom comes closer when we all fit our different gifts together!
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