Pressures at the coal face

Whoever said being a Christian was easy? Time and time again people ask me why someone has died, "When they were such good people/Christians!" My answer is always that dying is the one thing that people are definitely going to do. People can be nice, nasty, funny, miserable and every other shade of emotion-generating behaviour available, they change their minds, they can find Jesus but sadly - dying is one thing that is certain and regardless of how it comes of course, inevitable.
  
This conversation from a Harry Potter film seems to sum life up quite admirably:

Professor Slughorn: I once had a fish . .  Francis. He was very dear to me. One afternoon, I came downstairs and, and it vanished . . poof!
Hagrid: That's very odd, isn't it?
Slughorn: Yes, isn't it? But that's life I suppose. You go along with it and then suddenly . . . poof!
    
So what about the space between birth and death? Like summers when I was a schoolboy, which I am sure consisted of rainy days as well as sunny, some of us have them full of sunny days. Others of us only seem to be able to see the inclement weather and see everything spoiled by them. Some always have a half-empty pint pot whilst others are always half-full. Which one are you?

In our church family we have seen one person made redundant and a couple more under threat of it. Some have taken amazing pays cuts (up to 40%) to keep their jobs and there are more cancers and health problems than seems fair. The bottom line is that life is just not easy and not always fair (take a look at your share of the national debt on this blog page!). Life is, at times, a struggle and you know what, I think it's supposed to be like that (sorry - probably unpopular that thought).

We often speak about times and seasons (chronos and kairos) and when we do, our thoughts (even those non-Christians) turn to Ecclesiastes, chapter one:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a
   time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to 
   throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Take a look at the menu above, wherever you find yourself this morning, God wants to be a part of this (yes, all of it):

• For those of you caring for friends or family beset by cancer, God is interested and wants to be involved (and healing) - just ask Him. 
• For those of you who are facing job loss, financial difficulties with mortgages and just making ends meet - He wants to be involved, He just needs to be asked.
• For those with family difficulties (yours, your neighbours, your wider family), again God is waiting to be invited in and to get involved.

Whatever situation you face this morning, you do not do it alone, there is God and there are those who know and love Him who will pray with (and for) you, who will offer support and comfort (and I mean practical support, not just tea and sympathy) and who will come alongside and journey through the tough times with you. This is what God and Church are all about - having a friend in hign places and friends alongside you too.

Go on - knock on the door - you'll get an answer:

Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened for everyone who asks receives. For everyone one who seeks shall find and when they knock the door is opened.

Is there anyone among us who would offer his kid a stone if they ask for bread? Or a snake if they ask for fish?

Of course not! And if we, who are horribly scuzzy individuals can give our kids good stuff, how much more will God, our heavenly father, give His kids good things when they ask?


Need prayer for you or yours or want to talk, discuss things or even rail against God? Post a comment here or come discuss it at: Cavedwellers where you'll find a place to share, be listened to and cared for.