coffee, cake and building blocks

Our Church had a women’s event last Friday night organised by our wonderful ministers’ wives, Emily and Susan. The hall was beautifully decorated and looked like one big comfy lounge room with couches, bean bags, candles, flowers and other lovely decorations, all put together superbly by Lauren and Kat. Katie outdid herself and make lots of delicious supper treats – that girl is amazing. And Lisa did an awesome job being the MC for the evening. There are so many talented women in our Church, and last Friday night highlighted those who had gifts in hospitality – so much to learn from them.

To start the night we were all giving a sticker that was put on our back and on that sticker was the name of a famous female person, character or object. It was a great icebreaker as we all greeted each other by looking at each other’s backs and having to ask questions to figure out who we were. It soon became clear there was categories – singers, actresses, women in the Bible, Jane Austen characters, make-up items, etc and that put us in the group we sat in for the talk.

Emily’s talk was fantastic and I wish I could remember more of it (she has promised to email the main points, so I will write another post when I get that). The talk was on these verses from 1 Peter:

“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:1-5

There were 3 points from Emily’s talk but the one that really spoke to me was how God has carefully placed us in the exact situation in life we are in now. We are not here by a random accident; we are exactly where we are meant to be, where God has chosen for us to be. For we are the stones that God is using to build His spiritual house, don’t you think He would think about and have a plan of where to place us and how to use us? If things went according to my plan I would have finished Uni at 22, got married the same year, had my first kid by 25 and everything would be hunky dory (typical plan for a 16 year old I think). But God knew better and brought me to Sydney, to PBC, put me next to the people He chose, put me in the workplace that He chose. I love how girltalk describes our phases of life as different seasons – and I have struggled with this season of my life – recovering from having a tumour, neurosurgery and starting work full-time.

Shouldn’t it be easy by now?
Shouldn’t I be able to do everything I want to by now?
Why can’t I do everything?
Why don’t I have an unlimited supply of energy?
Why do I get headaches?
I want to serve you Lord, so what’s the deal here?

Emily’s talk reminded me that God has put me in this season in life for a very specific purpose, as part of Him building his spiritual house. It’s not about where I think I should be but trusting that God knows where I should be and doing as much as I can within that season he has placed me in.