Moulding Chronicles March 2015

Dear Friends,

Over the last few months I (Ed) have been reading a very good book called ‘Serving Without Sinking’ by John Hindley. It has been a challenging read and has taught me a lot about having a right view of God, others and self as I consider what serving God really means. Towards the end of the book it focuses on Matthew 11:28-30, about taking the ‘easy’ yoke that God has prepared for us.

Cooking lessons

Recently I have been beginning to understand more of what this means. In biblical times two Ox where yoked together to plough a field, one older and more experienced, and a younger less experienced one with the elder of the two taking most of the weight. With us, God is the older experienced Ox taking most of the weight and leading the way, we are the younger Ox and only have to carry what God asks us to carry. Hindley says that when we realise this and begin to trust God, i.e. only feeling the weight He puts on our shoulders as opposed to what we load ourselves up with, then we can find joy in serving Him, and can serve him for longer and harder than ever before.

He'll make a great Dad one day

So God has been challenging me about taking up his yoke, but when I hear God saying do this for me or lead that for me, fears and doubts fill my mind, questioning where it will lead, what I might have to give up and if I have the skills and abilities to do it. So instead of standing up straight and taking the strain of the yoke WITH God, I shrink away from the yoke, fearing and worrying about things that God is not asking me to worry about. When I do this I am not able to serve God as best as I can, because I have not understood how he wants me to serve him. I have not understood that God is an intentional God who puts us in different situations with a clear purpose of helping us to grow, to know Him more, to be able to reflect His likeness and be reminded again that He is God and He knows what is best for us.

So as I look at the challenges we are facing with getting our new visas under time pressure, and as I look at the challenges and changes I am facing in my HR role within FH, God is challenging me to look away from the fears and doubts and to trust in Him, and stand up to take the strain of the yoke to find that when I do I find that His yoke is easy and his burden is light, because I am carrying what He wants me to carry whilst leaving all the other stuff for God to carry and provide the answers for in His perfect timing.

New glasses

Thank God for:

Celebrating Isaiah’s 4th birthday
Couples within the families group taking the lead in organising social events

Ask God for:

Documents to be processed quickly and returned
The FH lawyer to be on the ball with all the papers we need
Faith to trust God for his perfect timing
Energy and good health

Ed, Sarah, Alana, Isaiah and Lucas

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’

Matthew 11:29-30