Finding the right rhythm

On Sunday 21^st January a lovely lady and her young 12 year old son walked into our church. We didn’t know them, they didn’t know us and little did they know that by the end of the service they had provided me with a title for this blog post.

Engaged by the ‘live’ music practise prior to the service, our young visitor became inquisitive. He had an interest in music and particularly drumming.

Finding a semi-redundant djembe drum in the vestry (as you do) our young visitor began to tap out a beat. As his confidence grew the rhythm of the drum resonated, dynamics were introduced and before we knew it our ‘live’ worship band had grown from two to three.  (Ok, so ‘live worship band’ might be a bit far-fetched, but I have been praying for musicians to join our church and my glass is half full!)

I was amazed at how quickly our young friend had found the right rhythm – a perfect title for a blog!

I knew what this blog would look like – a few ideas forming in my mind, and a few photos to accompany the writing...little did I know that within 3 days of this happening circumstances were going to change dramatically and the blog post would take on a different perspective - yet thankfully I have been able to retain the title I wanted to use.

So what changed things? 

Without going into too much detail, I unexpectedly found myself back in England for a week, living with my mother-in-law. 

It quickly became evident that the situation I now found myself in was not going to be short lived, so a decision was made for myself and David’s mum to return to Scotland for a couple of weeks – well at least until Rebecca (our youngest daughter) gave birth.

Watching the sunset from Ballast Bank

Nana keeping us on our toes with a nifty game of Scrabble

Thankfully for us (yet probably not for Rebecca) she was 11 days overdue, allowing us time to make arrangements for the return of David’s mum to Warrington and for us to head to Lincoln to see our beautiful grandson just hours after he was born. What a special moment that was.

Ezra David Bell born 21st February 2018 

Proud grandad time

Proud and emotional Nanny Pam time

David returned to his role back in Scotland, and I arranged to spend a few more days in Lincoln, being the chief cook and bottle washer in the Bell household –

 not to mention enjoying time spent with Ezra.

Then, enter stage left (or is it stage right?) – The Beast from the East made an epic appearance!

Walking to the Bells #cannotgethecaroutofthesnow

So there was I stranded in Lincoln for the foreseeable future. This was not part of my plan! However the bonus of having extra Nanny and Ezra bonding time was a real blessing.

Waiting for Nanny Pam to arrive!

After the ups and downs of the past three weeks, I was hopeful that normality would soon return and I could begin to find that all elusive rhythm to my life.

I needed to get home, yet couldn’t. My planned route and alternative routes to Scotland were all impassable and to make matters worse I needed a haircut!

I know that sounds bizarre but I really cannot function if my hair needs cutting...silly I know, but I was becoming uncomfortable with myself.

 I couldn’t focus on taking my daily prayer and quiet time because I was too busy thinking how uncomfortable I was feeling. I was missing my ‘chair’ – that quiet place where I sit, read, pray and listen, where there is only me and God. I would try to spend time reading, but the motel chair wasn’t ‘my’ chair. My mind would wander but not very far from multiplying thoughts all about me, me and me. I was becoming the biggest item on my own agenda; no-one was thinking about poor old me stuck in a motel, and not able to get home (despite the amazing breakfasts!)

With everything that had been going on in the past month coupled with more heavy snow forecast, I had some moments when I literally felt the panic rising up, trying to overtake me.

It was at that point I knew I had to come back to God and ask for His peace. I knew that in my self-centredness I had lost my focus, I had to find some kind of sustainable Godly rhythm.

This turned my thoughts back to our young visitor at church. I began to realise that we all have different life rhythms and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another, but the one thing we need to make sure we don’t miss out on is taking time out to spend with God. If we are too tired, too busy or like me too self-obsessed to hear the voice of God then we are in real danger of trying to do things in our own strength rather than trusting Him who has a plan for us.

Moving the focus from myself to God, allowed me space to appreciate a new rhythm for that particular time and place.

What I hadn’t appreciated or anticipated in all of this was that God had other plans for me. I was able to spend 2 whole weeks with Rebecca, John and Ezra and John’s family too. I had some special Nanny Pam bonding moments as Ezra and I cuddled whilst mummy and daddy took some well earned naps. I also had the privilege of joining with the Bell family at Ezra’s first outing to church and witnessed his official welcome to his extended church family (a wee bit emotional that was). And finally sharing communion side by side, another emotional moment for which I am so thankful to have been part of.

Ezra's first outing to Life Church, Lincoln

So now I pose a question to you....what about you? How do you feel your life rhythm is? Do you need to make any changes to your own routine? Have you found a sustainable Godly rhythm?

Oh, if you were wondering about my hair - a customer not turning up at the hairdressers allowed me to walk in off the street and have my hair cut just before returning home to Scotland. 

All in God’s perfect plan!