9 Weeks Away

I blogged a few months ago about how it's been amazing and such a blessing to have been offered a job commencing from the end of my exams and still on-going (now permanent employment!). And as much as this is still true, the coincidence of this summer with London 2012 has led to some inevitable changes. 9 weeks ago Sunday trading law was relaxed meaning we extended our opening hours to 8pm on a Sunday and also my shift. This therefore made it absolutely impossible for me to attend CCK for the Sunday services, And with spending weekdays back home, I also missed summer small group.

Don't get me wrong, the Olympics have been absolutely amazing, even I watched parts and I really don't enjoy watching most sport.

But, how can I have grown in relationship with God without this kind of sustenance?

I didn't deal with it very well, I'm not very good at reading my bible in the best of circumstances, and without church I seemed to lose all motivation to do so completely. I filled my summer with work and threw myself into giving 100% to my new role and kind of pushed God aside.

The thing with God though is even when you go through phases (and I do this) of wanting to ignore him, finding it easier to not bother, God still loves us and he's waiting to forgive us. I find it amazing that no matter how far I try to run from him, he always pursues me, and is waiting with open arms.

So what changed? I always think that God doesn't speak to me, that it's a rarity that he does and there's no point in waiting when it seems so few and far between. It's a case of realising that God is always talking us, a lot of the time I'm not receptive to him, and I don't listen when he speaks. But this week God just stirred something in my heart to pick up my bible and start reading. I have a iPad app for the bible and it comes with some plans that you can follow and complete, and I was halfway through one & it spoke to me just as I was. I'm a conformist and I can have a tendency to just go along with the flow, go along with what everyone else is doing and this can easily lead you away from God, I can also be affected by worldly issues that distract from. The verse I read just said simply and directly 'Do not conform with the ways of this world' (you can read more about this in my other blog).

So then a couple of days later, I went to CCK student leaders on tour, and God really placed on my heart that I haven't been putting him at the centre, where in reality nothing else matters when it comes to God and I really need to work on focusing on him and not the distractions the world brings.

So after 9 weeks of being away, Sunday - I'm going back

XOX

Prayer point:
- Could you please just pray that through the next year with work, uni, relationships etc. I can maintain keeping God central & being proactive for him. =]