To continue my collection of stamps from cathedrals I took the opportunity to visit Coventry Cathedral as it's not too far to travel from Yardley.
Having taken a moment to wander round the old cathedral I then went to explore the new. I love this cathedral because I find the amazing artworks and visual installations so inspiring.
Of course not forgetting the stunningly beautiful Baptistery Window which looked particularly lovely with the sun shining through the central white to yellow panels and quite frankly deserved a picture all by itself. If I could bring this window home with me I would - it's truly lovely!
However, as I looked around I was suddenly struck by a strong recollection of visiting with my parents back in 1991 when we came to attend a silver jubilee celebration service for Time for God. As we sat waiting for the service to begin a gentleman approached my Dad and greeted him by name as he'd recognised my Dad as having once been his Sunday school teacher many years before. This chap had been one of the first volunteers for Time for God and his son was part of my year group. Dad really enjoyed catching up with him and it was a joy for him to discover how he'd been a part of this man's faith journey to this point of encounter.
And this reminded me that, in going through some old boxes to find some material from my Time for God experience to share with the folk at the friary in East London, I found I'd kept the old Baptist Times which had an article in about the service and about this very gentleman too - though not surprisingly there's nothing about him meeting with my Dad!!
The thing is that in walking in my own footsteps during my sabbatical I've been so encouraged and inspired to see glimpses of how, through my ministry, people have been encouraged and supported. I say this not to blow my own trumpet - far from it - any legacy that I've left is because of God working through me. So all praise to Him! But sometimes we can wonder what effect, indeed if any, we might have as agents of God's kingdom, and can easily underestimate God at work in and through what we do and say and how this impacts others. I think we can feel that our contribution is insignificant, but maybe just maybe something we've done has been the conduit for God's Spirit to impact someone in a really profound and lifelong way.
And also, as I've expressed my thanks to others for their part in my own journey folk generally have been surprised and somewhat taken aback, though hopefully pleasantly so. I think we need to be a people who express our gratitude to others more freely. After all, this is what Paul was keen for the Christians in Thessalonica to do:
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up...
1 Thessalonians 5:11a
So if there's someone who has impacted you and your journey of faith, if you've never taken the opportunity, why not drop them a line, send a card or pick up the phone and tell them? Because as we do this not only do we acknowledge God's faithfulness in our own lives but this also provides the opportunity to build others up too!
