Father's day in my home country was always in June - usually quite close to my dad's birthday. It provided a useful and economical day for joint gifts - much like my birthday in December ("we got you this real bargain, and it's a JOINT present for your birthday and Christmas! Aren't you LUCKY!").
Here we are enjoying Father's day in September. A bit odd in one way, but hey it's Spring. New life abounds on these islands in Spring - and soon we will have daylight saving which will give us more time after work to enjoy the sun!
The family had lunch together for Father's day. It was nice to be together (we do all live under the same roof of course but at times are lax about eating at the table at the same time as each other). Lot's of laughter and joking which was really nice, and chocolate brownies which helped us recover from the chicken recipe's large dose of chillies.
The best thing this morning was the worship and ministry time at church - the focus was on healing and there was time for healing ministry and people available at different places in the church to pray for others. It is neat, as they say here (and "sweet") that our Heavenly father knows our needs in great detail. The lady who prayed for me was a South African (ubiquitous as we are) and she had a Psalm for me which was a kind of take-away at the end. The whole of Psalm 40 is powerful. The first verses reminded me of my sons learning scripture at Liberty Christian college in Witbank - this memory verse was one we all had sorted:
Psa 40: 1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
Psa 40:2 He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
Psa 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
There have been many losses since coming to these islands. I know in my heart of hearts that God will restore what we need in our deepest places of grief and separation. The losses are not primarily of identity, but at a deeper level through trauma and pain. There will be a new song in our mouths. That process has begun already. The Psalm goes on to say:
Psa 40:9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.
Psa 40:10 I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
We don't have a great congregation, but certainly have a great assembly at which to proclaim the faithfulness of the Lord! And we do and will continue to.
We continue to trust the Lord for his guidance and provision as a family! With the Psalmist we continue to say - You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God.
