lessons

almost a month has past and where has this got me? another month older, another month wiser? hopefully. holidays always seem to have that effect. they eat time but there's always a whole new set of things to learn.

My lesson for this holiday? my lesson for this month? Openness to learn. And it's root lies in just conquering the next part of the mountainface called pride.

One of the weeks of this month was spent back in the beautiful country of wales at the pwhelli conference. like last year, i was once again involved in the youth work. 120 11-14yr olds. just picture all those hormones flying around. lovely. It was a crazy week and we saw God move which always increases it's position on the 'greatness scale' in my mind. But, admittadly, i struggled a little. The team members were all lovely, godly people but i found some of their beliefs and teaching a little difficult. Maybe I get a little too hot around the collar when it comes to Grace becuase of my own personal journey into understanding it or maybe I just see how powerful grace is and how destrcutive leaglism can be to kids and so i want to champion a crusade! Whatever the reason, or maybe it's a combination of the two, the lack of grace upset me

Enter Desi Maxwell onto the arena of my week. Good 'ol Desi. He's the kind of person that you rarely see but is so wise that they impact your life for the rest of your year by what they say. if you haven't got a spiritual hero like that, find yourself one. they do you wonders and you find yourself being a blessing too, which is always nice!

Anyway, Desi's mentor is a bendictin monk. (very apt for story about lack of grace when desi lives in belfast) He taught Desi openness and thus Desi passed on the baton to me and over soup on a grubby table in the restaurant he taught me openness. I had explained a little of how I was feeling and asked for advice whether i should say something or just keep schtum. I also confessed that my thoughts toward them, becuase of this, weren't as holy as they should be!! And Desi? Well he told me that wherever he goes, whoever he's with, he prays for oppenness. Openness to learn from them. Learn something. we always can. humbling but true.

So that's what I learnt. so what did I learn from the team? Well, a reminder to strive for holiness and Godliness. Although I would see my foundation as slightly different, or maybe i just express it differently, i was reminded by these godly team members to strive for holiness.

I also learnt that I'm able to be me and be different and I am capable of expressing that to people in a way that helps them think. I did say what i needed.

Openness. that was my lesson for this month. Maybe this should become a regular feature. 'Lesson from the Lord of the month'