Beth’s blog

Today, actually, my schedule wasn't particularly God-ridden. Well, at
all. There wasn't any church, no meetings or lifegroups unfortunately:
and I hadn't planned in my diary a time when I was focused on the
Lord, aside from my nightly bible readings and prayers and what have
you.
But, still, just today: God has spoken to me.
Even when I wasn't looking specifically for a message or an answer to
prayer; simply through my everyday life the Lord has reminded me; of a
very important thing.
So yes, today was, well a pretty lazy day. Did a few things, but had a
bit of time so I thought I'd waste it away on bbc iplayer, as you
do!:) and I'm not proud of it, but hey, 'the world's strictest
parents' was just my impulse click. I won't go into details, but it came down to one
upfront being, in my opinion, the arrogant and downright rude closed
view of someone who, underlying, is scared of anyone a little
different from themselves. Yes, it did get me mad; I'm not going to
lie, but she did go back later on in the programme. She overcame the
total snobbery that wound me up so much; and concluded with something
along the lines of 'I think I've just learnt that, like, we're all the
same'. Yes, of course, a happy ending to this bbc show! Anyway, I
wasn't too surprised, and at this point in the day: it didn't mean
much to me. But this was just the start.

As I go on, ummm Just imagine me jumping around
trying to explain this.. May help you understand? I’m so not a words person! Doing my best.

So, yes, that night, after watching 'World's Strictest Parents', part
of my Bible in a Year was (at the moment) reading through acts. We get
about 2 chapters a day; and that day just happened to be Acts 10. And
guess what it was all about? Why, how Peter, a kinda leader, was
reaching out to others who were different to them, who were saved:
when he got back the people asked him why. And he said that God had
told him not to judge anyone 'clean' or 'unclean'
I mean, I'll admit, sometimes when it's getting late at night: I kind
of skim through the dull chunks of writing that consist of the bulk of
the Bible in a Year. But there was one verse in acts 10 that I read,
that night, and thought: wow. It's 34; my version may be a bit
different to yours: 'Peter began to speak: 'I really understand now
that to God every person is the same'. Considering what I'd watched
earlier, I truly was astounded; and to be honest that doesn't happen
often to me when I'm reading the chapters fast to get them over and
done with; more the deep verses recited slowly from Max Lucado's
'Grace of the day'.
Once that thought had hit, though, my memory started to flood back
from the last sunday's preach. It was by Ollie Stevens; and on Peace?
Well, he had used acts 10 as an example! Pretty much; what I had just
read and understood and had been pulled out from the words on the page
and was directly related to what had been talked about on sunday. I
even checked my notes (which obvs makes it legit) haha.
I don't know what it sounds like to you but, bare facts, it just made
me love the Lord even more. Made me appreciate God's power and might
and glory and .... I could go on :')
Kinda obviously, it reminded me that we have to reach out to everyone,
too. I think for me; it isn't just the easy ones: we should be trying
to speak to those who, in the opinion of the world, have major issues,
but not only that but also, I think, those that don't appear to
outwardly NEED God's love. I think, perhaps,those are the situations
where God can really shine: if only we step out in faith. But, anyway.
Back to where I was.

Now it's the next sunday evening, and as I finish this the Lord has
completely and utterly made me realise that He's got it all in His
hands and under His control double, triple, whateverfold. There was a
guest speaker this morning; and, well, who could have the
cheek to call it chance?! He spoke about how we should
reach out into all nations, because we're all God's children: Christ
died for all nations; and that we should make disciples everywhere.
Different parts of the bible, including many of those I'd read before;
just encouraged everyone to get out there: and realise we're all in
the same boat. Fits in a treat, right? As part of the stuff I read,
too, I looked back to the day I had to read Acts 10, and there was one
verse that I positively beamed at. 2 Corinthians 5:20: 'God has given
us the task of telling everyone what He is doing. We're Christ's
representatives' hear that? Telling EVERYONE.

Okay, so, I don't know what you're interpretation is of all this.
Maybe God's trying to say something, here?
Well, anyway. There's a few things here. Not quite sure what this
blog's about. Or if it's even a blog at all. A whole smorgasboard of
experiences and prayer and actual VERSES (which is very unlike me!).
Maybe I'm just saying, be open to God; all the time. Your whole life.
I was going to say at the start.. Even though there wasn't a booked
church meeting, my life was still for the Lord. Every day. And He has
1000000x the power to show you and make sure of that.
Maybe I'm just saying, God doesn't just speak to people in weird
magical mystical dreams; with looser connections to life and
situations than contemporary dance; or perhaps I'm just trying to say
that those big preaches on sunday morning aren't for the masses. They
can relate to you. Personally.

anyway yes, :)
xx