Journey mercies

I can't stop repeating this, but 2009 is really giving me such joy. Each week I keep thinking about how wonderful it is to be full of joy, and knowing I am truly blessed. There are things that I'm concerned about, mainly work, but the joy overshadows those concerns.

Among one of those blessings, it only occurred to me just now, is the L family. Last night, after evening service, a few of us women were chatting as we continued sitting in the chapel after the service. It struck me we were surrounding this Zimbabwean lady that has just recently joined me. I'm glad there were a few other women who joined the circle to give her the welcoming warmth into the congregation as I only know too well the struggles of not being accepted readily enough to the folds of a church.

And Hannah L came up to her mom, Jess, and asked her if she wanted a drink. She proceeded to head towards the kitchen after that and a lady said that Jess' two girls were really the sweetest kids in church. Hannah came back with a cup of tea and a cake for her mom.

I've spent enough time with Jess and her family to observe Jess' character and her interaction with her kids and I am truly amazed and in awe of her. She speaks with such gentleness and soft firmness with them and even when they get overexcited and a little rowdy, she never loses that gentleness and soft firmness but tells them to calm down or they'll be taken aside. As much as I love the two girls, sometimes I do feel tempted myself to shush them, but Jess' level of patience is incredible and only tells them softly that it is enough. It helps of course that the girls are gentle enough in nature to listen and obey, but then again, I think with their parents gentle nature, they were shaped from birth to model after them.

12 year old Naomi one time said to me when we saw Jess talking to someone, "Oh no, there she goes again, striking up a conversation with someone again. She's always talking."

Jess has an incredibly likeable character, very easy to talk to because she's genuinely interested in people, and always tries to carry a conversation with anyone and everyone she sees. And you can see people responding to it, which makes you wonder why people don't seem as nice as that to you like when you see them with Jess.

The friendship with her kids, Naomi and Hannah as I mentioned before, is also an amazing blessing to me. I've also spent enough time with Jess and both of them, and seen how Jess plays with them and am impressed how Jess so easily strikes a balance between being both their mother and friend. And because of that the two girls seem to relate to me as both an adult and a friend easier than some kids. Hannah is a shy girl, but to see her deciding very firmly that I was a precious friend to her has been heartwarming because unlike some of the other kids, her loyalty to me is firm and affectionate.

I also sometimes find it harder to relate to older men than obviously, women. I found it a little difficult conversing with the girls' father, David at first. But for some reason after a few awkward attempts, we've had some pretty good conversations while having tea after service. I was glad that the L family joined me for lunch yesterday, because it was a situation where David was obviously not obliged to be thrown into because of my friendship with the girls in his life. That was how I felt most times when Jess would invite me to have lunch at their home.

I'm very impressed by how David very easily draws his girls into intellectual and most times silly conversations. They would often tell each other jokes after meals, and yet there are times when David shares with them his favourite poetry, or teach them play on words like spoonerism, palindrome and anagrams.

Listening to this sermon on singlehood and families supporting and modeling Christ' love for young people was what made me realise how as a family, the L's have been an immense blessing to me since I came to the UK. They have as a family unit impacted me so much during this time as no other has ever, and it makes me consider much more appreciatively of what it means to be a godly wife and mother (if and when God ever intends me to be one!).

And I am of course ever increasingly grateful for God to allow me to have such access to amazing people in my life. To have such godly people entering into my life and visibly and palpably influencing my life that makes me wonder what I would have been like without their involvement and investment in me! Some people live their lives without ever having this kind of blessing, and I wonder how poorly I would have fared without it.