Christ in Others

Time is flying by! I cannot believe I am in my last month of serving at Bethany! I’m already feeling very, very sad about leaving this place and the people who have made my year so amazing.

Earlier in May I attended my last TFG+ (Time For God) conference in Oxford, England. Out of all the conferences, this one was by far my favorite. There were altogether 6 TFG+ volunteers there. We stayed in a lovely Christian Retreat Centre in the countryside called Stanton House with the most hospitable people and incredible food! For the 4 days we were there, we each had time to individually prepare a time of worship and devotion to lead the group in, we had group time to talk about what we have learned in the past year, gave presentations on our placements, discussed 20th century martyrs, and talked about where we will go from here. Going punting, walking around the city, eating ice cream, and spending time in the beautiful countryside were other highlights (see pictures).

When I was in Oxford I also had a lot of time to think and reflect about the year on my own time. I was reminded of a comment one of the residents at the centre asked me right before I left. Knowing how much I love my dog Tiger, he asked: “Blair, when you’re at home with your dog, will you still remember us?” I thought he was joking at first but soon realized he wasn’t. The answer to his question seemed so obvious to me-Of course! I will still remember each one of them!! But for him, it’s not so uncommon to see people come and go in his life. His question also made me step back and think about each one of the guys at the centre and how I will remember them because they are all close to my heart and have been some of the best teachers ever…

Stepping out in faith.
One of my jobs at the centre is to take referrals and interview guys who want to come into the centre. I can remember when I first started interviewing. I thought I was scared and nervous until I met the guy who came in. The amount of courage it takes for an addict to take that first step of faith into recovery is massive and so encouraging. I feel incredibly privileged to be one of the first contacts someone has when taking that step.

Grace.
This past month we’ve had one of our long term residents move out of the centre. After going through years of sexual abuse as a child, followed by 14 years of homelessness on the streets and addictions to both alcohol and drugs, he knew there must be more to life. To me, this man is a true testimony of accepting God’s grace. And again, by the grace of God, this now ex-resident will be starting bible college in a couple months!

Forgiveness.
God calls us to forgive others and he will forgive us and he also calls us to love our enemies. Part of the twelve steps to recovery is forgiving and restoring broken relationships. In the past year, a mother has started talking to her son for the first time in years, a child will see his dad for the first time ever, a daughter is now speaking to her father regularly, and an ex-husband is praying for his ex-wife and her new partner who are still caught up in the drug culture. I am absolutely amazed with the genuine feelings of forgiveness and amends I have seen in relationships and attitudes towards those who these guys have hurt or others who have hurt them.

Surrender.
Addiction can leave one feeling completely defeated and helpless. In Romans, Paul writes how we are all sinful, none of us are righteous, and until we accept that and stop blaming others, we won’t get better. Recently one of the guys gave his life back to Christ after walking away for a while. The joy and peace he has now after coming back to God is a reminder to me about how powerful God’s love is when we surrender our lives to him.

Perseverance.
The hardest time to seek God is when we don’t feel like it. We may feel like we put so much in to having a relationship with Him but we hear nothing back. Or, we may feel too doubtful, unworthy or too prideful. Just last week I was listening to one of the residents speak to me about some major things he is struggling with right now in his life. I was humbled to hear his source of strength and hope was persevering through prayer, even when it’s hard and remembering how much God has brought him through already.

Simplicity.
It may sound cliché but sometimes the best things in life are simple and can amount to something huge. A short trip to the nearby beach can brighten someone’s perspective on life. A simple “good morning” or “how are you doing” can reinforce that someone still cares for you when you feel like nobody does. And living life one day at a time can help lighten our burdens.

I could go on and on with short stories about how God is teaching me from these guys but I think I’ll stop here…. :) But I encourage you to look at those around you- family, friends, co-workers, etc- what are you learning from them, how is God working in those relationships?

My last day working at Bethany is the 26th of June. It’s time to savor the last of my days in Scotland.

Blessings to you all,
Peace.