So I'm back from New Wine...actually I got back yesterday but the tiredness has taken it's toll...mostly in the form of a lovely sore throat and blocked nose (don't panic my temperature is normal, I don't have the swine!) and therefore I've been mostly inclined to crash on the sofa and watch tv I recorded whilst away :)
I'm not sure how to describe New Wine...it was an interesting one, very different for me since I wasn't with the youth (not that it stopped me seeing lots of them, it's hard to stay away from such funny people), instead I spent the week with my Hannah, PJ, his Hannah, Mike, Jonnie, Stevie, Joe and Duncan (the last 3 of which were technically camping with the youth but what can I say? our group was just that enticing!)
It was a good week :) spiritually-wise I spent the week praying about a specific thing and asking God to show me the answer. On the last night the speaker encouraged everyone to open their hearts and encounter the Holy Spirit, to which I said to God 'This isn't what I want God, I want you to show me the answer to my problem, not have a spiritual moment!' (oh what I fool I was...) and God replied 'But Sarah, how am I supposed to help when you won't even let me in?' so I stopped asking, I just let my heart open and then the tears came! Lots of them too! Suddenly I was feeling all the emotions I'd suppressed; the grief over Grandpa, my worry over things, my utter heart-break over the situation I'd been praying about...and I sobbed, I sobbed my heart out and just let myself feel it all.
PJ's Hannah asked if they were sad tears or happy tears and I didn't know how to explain that they were both...sad emotions but a good thing that I was feeling them.
So I never got my answer to the problem but God has a plan, I just need to stop trying to solve it and feel the emotions instead.
Our group was alot of fun, we hung out at night just talking and laughing and drinking (hehe beverages...yum!) and generally enjoying each other's company :) nothing in particular to say about this, I just really enjoyed it...particularly since the boys outnumbered the girls and we got a vivid education in what boys talk about!
As for the very special Baptism...basically the daughter of some family friends of ours got baptised whilst at New Wine, she's 12 and profoundly disabled...and one of the most special people in my life. It was beautiful to see her baptised and it was a perfect setting (just on our campsite with church people around us) and God was really working there :) I cried because it was just so fitting and their family is so special to me.
Oh and the weather was horrible and rainy and muddy but then turned into glorious sunshine, but what's New Wine without a little mud eh?
That's all for now I think, will blog again tomorrow about what's happening in the next few weeks :)
Much love xxx
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