Hope Comes Full Circle

At the beginning of the week you might have picked up I was feeling really down, I don't like to talk about it much, but yes, I am happy to announce it over the world wide web!

Anyway, I had thought there is no way I will be going to Church on Sunday morning, I do not want to sit through another service with tears in my eyes feeling like crap, so I had no intention of going.

As the week went on I opened up to my friend and we went out on Friday night for a drink and it was great; I talked, she listened, she joked, I laughed, we ordered, the bar delivered, you know how it works. 

Saturday I knew I could call on her if I needed, but I was glad to be feeling a lot better so I got on with the day (there were a few tears in the morning  because I hadn't managed to get all the laundry done, that wouldn't usually bother me, but I felt I'd let the kids down).

Later in the afternoon I was 'playing' my guitar and decided to look up some worship songs, I have to say I'm not a big fan of worship music other than in a Church setting, it just seems kind of cheesy, but I wanted to try and lift my spirits and practise my guitar at the same time so I came across this song To You O Lord which I really enjoyed and wasn't too difficult to play........

All this leads to today, where God (as if I should have expected anything less) fitted the pieces all together.

So, I did go to Church because I was feeling a little better and thought it would be good to go; right choice.  The visiting Preacher who had been given no subject to speak on stood up after our leader had done an introduction on hope and was pleased that it tied in entirely with what he wanted to talk about, so he really felt he had picked the right subject for this morning - so do I. 

In part of his message he spoke of Psalm 25;3 "No-one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame" This was so good to hear and be reminded of because a lot of my mindset has been to feel shame and guilt.  I was hooked on every word he said and was so glad I had not kept to my decision to stay home.

I realise this probably seems a bit of a rambley post, but remember the worship song I said I had found on Saturday?  Well it wasn't until I got home I realised that I had been singing the very Psalm that was given to me this morning....things were starting to click into place, I could see God moving through my very day, the hope was starting to shine through.

For the rest of the day today I slept.  In the evening I sometimes help out with our youth group, which is on at the same time as our evening service, which I never go to.  So I went up to the youth group, it started off fine, we were watching a DVD, then the projector packed up & after a few minutes of faffing around it was decided we would finish watching the film at the leaders house.  I didn't really want to do that and there were loads of us to try and fit in his lounge, so I said I would just go home.  As I went to leave church, I realised the evening service was going on, I was going to leave but then I went back and decided to take the opportunity to go to the evening service; right choice - again.

The preacher spoke from 1 Samuel about how the Israelites had had years of trouble with the Philistines but God eventually rescued them.  Samuel had taught them to put God first and get rid of anything getting in the way of worshipping only Him.  He set up the stone of Ebenezer as a memorial to show that even in their times of great trouble God had been with them and he said "thus far has the Lord helped us" 1 Samuel 7:12

So in my long-winded post what I am trying to say is God put me where I needed to hear his word today and there were many connections along the way.

From this morning, I take away a message of hope.  And this evening a message to remember the times that God has already helped me so far.  Both from services I didn't intend to go to!

And the icing on the cake? Because I didn't have to stay for the youth group I was home in time to watch Sherlock!