Thing's don't always go well

Thank you for keeping up with all our blogs and for the many encouraging e mails you send us.

One of the things that often comes up in your e mails is excitement as to how well things are going here and how the Lord is working.

I thought it would make a nice change to mention some of the things that haven't gone so well recently.

This is our storage building beside the church where we keep our wood, our aid, many tools etc

The big snow got to the ancient asbestos roof and in one fell swoop solved all our air conditioning problems. Fortunately the room with the aid in it is at extreme left of picture and the roof didn't come down there. Our men have met to see what is the least expensive way of trying to save our store house but with straw brick walls and now a collapsed roof things are not looking good and a sizeable investment is going to be needed.

Meanwhile, a few days after this happened some thieves took the opportunity, breaking into our tool room in the church store house and stealing several bits of expensive equipment. ( The police caught them 2 days later and we have recovered all - PTL )

Then round about the same time some snow got into our roof space ( we have no idea how ) and when it melted our ceiling swelled with water until we felt we must lance the boil ( see picture ) before the whole ceiling came down on us.
That's a wee job for the Spring when it comes.

Then on Tues our ancient heating system in the church finally gave up the ghost.

The cold weather was just too much for it and 4 radiators sprung leaks as well as several points in the piping system. ( We need a new central heating system)

I'll not mention the cracks creeping up the walls of the church due to dodgy foundations work nor the leak from the roof into the pastor's office.

I remember reading a story of a pastor who was well known for starting his Sunday morning meetings with a prayer of thanksgiving always finding something to thank God for no matter how bad things had been.

One Saturday there was a terrible thunderstorm. In the bad conditions his wife had an accident in the car and she and the kids were injured although not seriously. Just as he got back from the hospital the roof of his house partially collapsed due to the weather conditions so he had to move into temporary accommodation, where the one child who had not been with his mother in the accident contracted a virus as was up most of the night.

When he came to start the service the next day the whole congregation having heard of his trials eagerly awaited his opening prayer to hear what the pastor would find to thank God for in the previous day's disasters.

He began Dear Lord

I thank you that every day in life ..........

is not like yesterday

My sentiments exactly

Pastor Mark