JUNE 25 -- POT POURRI -- ON TRAIN BRISTOL TO LONDON

Wow, these last two days have passed quickly. Because of multiple trips in taxis and trains (sometimes too crowded to find a seat) I have been unable to find a time to write to you.  Thursday morning we were up and packing early to catch bus to tube to train to Bristol.  We arrived Bristol in mid-afternoon.  The people we came to see were unreachable by phone or text through most of the afternoon and evening so we settled into our hotel and had a lovely dinner at the hotel dining room.

As we ate I found myself wrestling with the realization that so many of us seem to have lost the ability to restrain our expectations of other people and treat them with grace and civility.  And yet Jesus was and is always gentle and gracious toward each of us.  It seems many of us who are sons of God have not yet accepted our power to bless the people we come in contact with on a daily basis.  It takes no more effort to compliment a waiter or waitress than it takes to order a cup of coffee.  And because Father's love is poured out upon us so extravagantly, we have an unending supply of love to pour out on the people who surround us.  Each of us has the power to bless or to curse the lives we touch.  How are you using that power today ?  Does your use of your power depend on your mood or your circumstances ?  How frightening to contemplate the idea that Jesus' love for me would depend on His mood of the moment instead of upon His steadfast character.  

After dinner we were ready to end our day and get some sleep when the cell phone rang.  It seems our friend had gotten our messages and was now available to come and meet us.  Like all normal people we were tempted to say, "Oh, it is quite late, perhaps another time." But Holy Spirit said let us meet with him.  We gathered around a quiet table in the hotel bar.  The time was absolutely fantastic.  Holy Spirit nurtured us all through every moment of the conversation.  After pouring out some powerful revelation for our friend, He led our friend to invite us to come to dinner with the family (wife and 2 young sons) the next evening.  We accepted and said good night.  

Friday morning found us up for a light breakfast and then headed for the train that would carry us to lunch with a pair of senior saints in Weston-super-Mare.  At lunch, in addition to the delight of fellowship and revelation from these powerful God speakers, we had the opportunity to serve them by helping to restore the computer they rely on to maintain communication with saints around the world.  It was truly a delightful and refreshing time filled with the sweet presence of the Lord.

A couple of things happened in the midst of our travel that almost take my breath away with their beauty.  The first -- we were arriving on the platform in Bristol when we met a young woman on the staff of the railway.  When I spoke kindly to her she began to respond to Father's love and open up to share some of her struggles.  Before much time had passed she was already on my Facebook page and ready to begin reading some of these blog entries in hopes of finding some revelation of God for her and her family.  As I sit here lovingly thinking of her I am praying that she and her husband will find the joy and peace of fully trusting Jesus.  I know that Father God has great love for them and for their child.  

The second -- just a few minutes later we boarded our train.  It was crowded. The seats available put us face to face with a university student who has British and American duel citizenship.  As we were discussing the British referendum that will lead to the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, she told us that most of her university colleagues were opposed to leaving the EU.  She then went on to say parents of such students were asking the younger generation how they should vote because the younger ones would need to live with the consequences.  I marveled.  It seemed to be equivalent to a parent asking a child whether he would like to play on the play ground or out in the street.  After all it was the child who would have to live with the consequences if he were hit by a car.

After a quick train ride back to Bristol we met up with our friends for dinner before we even got back to our hotel room.  On the way to their home for dinner, we stopped at a Costco store to pick up a few things.  It was fascinating that my USA Costco credit card was perfectly fine for identification purposes but that the British Costco was not permitted to accept it for payment.  Strange but true !  I suspect it is one more form of annoying government regulation because the British cell phone carrier is also not permitted to accept USA based credit cards for payments on line.

Through the evening we had great fun with the children and were permitted to speak spirit and life and hope into both parents.  We continue to marvel at the grace Father extends to permit us to see His love at work.  When we returned to our hotel, we were overjoyed to receive emails to set up and confirm meetings in London today followed by related meetings in Brussels next week.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart