Diane read a poem by Rev. Dean Beaty during the service last night:

‘Since Christ turns water into wine,

Why do I worry, or why whine?

I know He’ll meet my every need,

Beyond my wildest dreams exceed.

This is the problem that I face:

I take my eyes off from His grace.

I focus on what I have not,

Forgetting all that I have got.

My wealth in Christ beyond compare,

And there’s my future with Him there.

When I think of all I’ve lost,

I then reflect on what it cost.

I’ve lost my sin with all its shame,

By simply calling on His name.

I gained eternal life above,

Made one with Christ through Jesus’ love.’

Beyond my wildest dreams there’s more:

When I arrive on heaven’s shore,

I’ll see my Saviour face to face,

And thank Him for His love and grace.’

Regular readers will remember chilli-growing sagas from the past: how Stephen grew chillies (from Mummy, Daddy and Runty plants) and we ate their chillies with gusto! In his recent gardening ventures, he has mainly concentrated on growing tomatoes (hence the plethora of chutneys being made using tomatoes for various Christmas markets, this one being tomato & courgette chutney):

However, he has also grown some chillies and since the service tonight had a harvest theme, part of the challenges was for team members to eat these without visible reactions. (Stephen’s own reactions were quite extreme when he ate them: they are pretty hot! To be clear, however, he did eat a whole chilli: we only had to eat a slice of one!)

Here are some photos of our stoical expressions…

We had a number of birthdays to celebrate tonight!

Stephen and Stacey provided us with quizzes about fruit and vegetables. Stacey’s quiz involved recognising these pictures:

(Romanesco, dragon fruit, Buddha’s hands and beetroot…)

Stephen’s quiz tested our knowledge of when fruit and vegetables are harvested (surprisingly difficult in this day and age, when so much is imported throughout the year!) However, we did know that tomatoes are usually harvested in September, as we’ve been making chutney this month to sell for the Christmas markets!

It’s very easy for us to take our food for granted. Supermarkets offer us a wide choice of foods and there are many opportunities to buy from markets and even to buy exotic foods online. We need constantly to remind ourselves of God’s provision and to thank Him for this. His overflowing generosity is our daily experience.

Tonight’s family service was a rather unconventional harvest festival! Mark spoke on the subject of God’s provision and our thankfulness from Matt 6:25-34. There, we see that God promises to provide for all our needs (see also Phil 4:19), not just in food and clothing. Jesus reassures us that we do not need to worry, because God’s provision and power are evident in nature (beautifully clothed flowers and birds whose needs are met by God) and we are far more valuable than these.

Worrying achieves nothing (except possibly magnifying the problems in our minds as we envisage all the ‘mights’ and ‘coulds’ which so often do not materialise.) We can rest in the secure knowledge that God knows what we need and loves us so much that He does something about it! Worry distracts us from God, but God is ever mindful of all our needs. Thankfulness is our response to God’s provision and power.

Diane’s testimony at the end of the service also reminded us how much God cares for us as individuals. In 1996, just before the birth of their third child, Mark was made redundant, and this period was difficult financially for them as a family. Nonetheless, as they learned to trust God for their everyday basic needs, they found they never went hungry and God’s provision and faithfulness upheld them. Sometimes, in the depths of winter, it feels like spring will never come, but God sends us signs of hope to remind us that there is light at the end of the tunnel. His love carries us through and His provision never fails.

One of the key ingredients to pressing on towards the new things God has for us is a firm belief that God is for us. One of the most frustrating things about being a teacher was when students would view me as the enemy. In schools, there is often a ‘them and us’ atttitude, with pupils seeing the teacher as an adversary rather than a helper. Only when pupils actually realise that teachers generally are there to pass on expertise, advice, knowledge and help rather than being sadistic enemies can true progress be made.

Similarly, we often feel that God is out to get us, rather than to help us. We view God as the enemy, the killjoy, the one who gives us rules and regulations simply to spoil our fun and make our lives miserable (a view propounded by the devil – see Gen 3.) The truth is completely the opposite. God is on our side.

‘You work together for our good.
You are loving.
You give us more than we deserve.
You are unfailing.
And we are more than conquerors, Saviour.
In you our future is secure
By your power.’ (‘God Is For Us’, Aaron Shust)

God is the One who blots out our transgressions and remembers our sins no more. (Is 43:25) God is the One ‘who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go’ (Is 48:17). God is working for our good in every situation. (Rom 8:28) Whatever new things God has for us, whatever new paths He might call us to travel along, whatever knee-knocking challenges lie ahead, we can be sure that God is on our side and will not leave us or forsake us. We’re on the winning side! As Phil Wickham puts it,

‘Nothing can stop us for You’re on our side:

Even in dying our souls are alive,

Standing together forever and marching on.’ (‘Children of God’, Phil Wickham)

Our part is not to shrink back, but to press on towards all that God has for us. (Heb 10:36-39)