In a dark tunnel

I'm just thinking about all the people I know who are going through something very difficult this week ... I can think of so many and I can feel my own heart paining... it's funny how all the hardest things in life, we face alone. People can empathise but they can't go through it for you and everybody's life has to go on. How many of us have had a moment where our life was falling apart and we look around at the hustle and bustle around us and realise that it is actually just our world that has stopped - the rest of the world is still going. I think of Daniel in the lions den, David facing Goliath, Samson blind and weak tied to the temple posts, and even Jesus who asked his disciples to stay awake and pray on the night he knew he was going to die. It seems that there are times in our life when we enter a tunnel and even the closest people to us can't help no matter how well meaning they are. The Bible says that God is an everpresent help in times of trouble. Everpresent. He is the only one that can get into that tunnel with us when the rest of the world has gone quiet. That is why the psalmist says "I lift my eyes up to the hills, where does my help come from, my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." I'm praying tonight for those I know who are in that tunnel. May they find the person who can get to them there. His light will shine when all else fades.

God in London

For those of you that don't know, I am in the UK on a 3 week contract. I was offered the position on Wednesday and asked if I can start on Tuesday. So we had a few days to book the ticket and get me here. Anyway, I found my way yesterday to Hillsong Church in the centre of London. Neither of the trains that could take me there were working, but there was no way I was going to miss it and I saw the fact that both trains were broken as more confirmation that I needed to get there. So I pushed on, changing stations and trying to find a route that was operational. As I was on my way, my continual prayer was "God, I need to find solid rock under my feet right now. I need to find you." When I finally got there, I felt like a fish that had been flapping around on the sidewalk and was now back in water. I took a deep breath and felt so at home among so many people who know God - I recognise the same Spirit anywhere and it is always home to me.

The church meets in the same theatre that they use for the musical "We will rock you" so you can imagine the sight that greeted me as I walked through the doors. The word 'Wow' came out of my mouth involuntarily about 4 times. After the 4th time, I apologised to the guy in front of me for saying "Wow" so many times in his ear. The atmosphere was electric and of course the worship of thousands of people in unison was awesome. Flashing on the screens in front was the phrase "The church is not peripheral to the world, the world is peripheral to the church."

I had wanted to go in the morning but through circumstance, I had missed the two morning services and ended up at the 15h30 service and it was no accident ... The message may as well have started out with the words "Nikki Venter, so glad you made it, this is what the Lord would say to you right now." More than once, I sat there with tears in my eyes as God answered questions that I have been wrestling with this week and reminded me about who He is. And when I remember who He is, then the question of "What the heck?!" becomes irrelevant. On a more apostolic note, it was so amazing to see one of the world's many local churches flexing its muscles. Will definitely be back there next week.