The Thing About Newday is....

The thing about Newday is that it is just such a different week; different to the norm, different to every day day life, different to what you expect or even plan for it to be.

The thing about Newday is that it makes you feel like you're living out Ground Hog Day. Didn't we just do all of this a year ago? 

The thing about Newday is that you reunite with your 'once a year' friends, and realise again how wonderful these people are, as they serve the next generation.

The thing about Newday is that you see people working in their gifting, and it's a fantastic thing to see. 

The thing about Newday is the epic cafes, even though the youth have been fed by fantastic church catering teams.

The thing about Newday is that you eat more carbs than you've ever solely eaten in one week, in a room which is louder than any room you've eaten in before.

The thing about Newday is the amazing cleaning team, who have to deal with all sorts of nasties, and they're always smiling!

The thing about Newday is the exhaustion you feel; maybe it's the camping, the carbs, the emotions, the hours, the people...maybe your lilo went down, or maybe it's the walking, or the toddler not napping, or the serving, maybe it's all of the above.

The thing about Newday is that someone is always doing a job, which you just couldn't do, or wouldn't want to do, or wouldn't know how to do.

The thing about Newday is the Health & Safety team saying yes to the fighting, trapezing dinosaurs and the kids covered in gunge. 

The thing about Newday is that you can doubt yourself or compare yourself; maybe they make it to more meetings than you, maybe they get to go to less, maybe they're up front and you'd like that, or maybe they are never seen, and perhaps that is the dream.

The thing about Newday is that you can't quite see how putting your excited, 'out of routine', feral child back into a caravan bed for three hours is really adding anything to the event.

The thing about Newday is that more than three times a day, you do not know where said feral child is, but usually someone else does.

The thing about Newday is the amazing clouds which seem more intense in Norfolk, and the rainbows of promise.

The thing about Newday is the diversity; whether it be through rap or through strings, through pancakes or jerk chicken, through inner city London or the beaches of cornwall.

The thing about Newday is when your youth come and visit, and you act all breezy when you're just so pleased to see them, and to hear that one of them has even showered.

The thing about Newday is you hit a wall, you throw your hands up, and slump down on a flat lilo or a grassy cushion and you have a bit of a cry.

The thing about Newday is the kids work full of friendly faces, welcoming the sad or happy little ones.

The thing about Newday is the copious amounts of sugar which can be consumed. Every day is sweetie day.

The thing about Newday is the neighbours; you just have to put up with them! And the poo stories, and the laughter.

The thing about Newday is the damp, smelly clothes which live in the corner of a tent, growing their own vegetation.

The thing about Newday is that there are young people everywhere, and they stay up really late, whereas babies and children wake up really early. It's a fun combination!

The thing about Newday is that some people are in a seminar learning stuff, or in a prayer meeting hearing from God, and you're walking around a campsite pushing a buggy, feeding the occupant some snacks.

The thing about Newday is dancing outrageously in worship, or standing quietly still while everyone else dances to the beat.

The thing about Newday is catching the wow moments; your child falls asleep on the floor of the big top, and you hear the preach, or the testimonies. Or maybe your child is awake, and clearly meeting with God, or a friend prays for you, or just understands where you're at.

The thing about Newday is when an eleven year old boy, gives his heart to Jesus, and so does the next and the next and the next, until one hundred and fourteen young teens suddenly realise what Jesus has done for them, and make a stand to follow Him. 

The thing about Newday is watching the team your husband works so closely with, (for this crazy week), bawl their eyes out because of this. Because this is what they are here for.

The thing about Newday is hearing the 308 who have found God's love and forgiveness for the first time, and more who have been reminded, and have found His love for the second time, or even third, or fourth...

The thing about Newday is hearing the hundreds of young people who have been healed from physical and mental illnesses, and those that have been set free from other things which have bound their young lives for too long.

The thing about Newday is the perspective, the bigger picture. It's the putting aside of the hard bits, and seeing why this event is put on, why it's important to equip the next generation to live a life which glorifies God, confident in Him always having their back.

The thing about Newday is watching young people experience forgiveness and be inspired to make a difference, to take the gospel of Christ to others and to live the adventure He wants for them.

The thing about Newday is that it is worth it. It's just so worth it. 

"For the Lord is good, and His love endures forever;his faithfulness continues through all generations". Psalm 100v5

Panning for Gold

Some of the things I encourage my kids about, seem pretty small, almost insignificant. At the moment, we're on our final potty training season. It seems to be going a little easier this time round. Maybe when you have six kids, the last one just kind of gets the memo, and self trains.

The little dimpled pink one, takes herself to the potty, does a wee, Facetimes someone to tell them her achievement and the best bit, she doesn't even ask for her sweetie; her positive reinforcement, her bribe. At least one of the others worked out how to do his wee in stages so that he would get multiple mini marshmallows... but not this one. She does her business, and we all do the 'wee wee dance', and then she's happy. She hasn't nailed number twos yet, so they are found in the swimming costume or the knick-knicks. We've yet to have a trouser leg incident, or as one of mine did, the 'Bob the Builder incident', where we found them substituting one thing for another, and using their trucks to scoop up the 'mud'...

Anyway, I digress. It's so important to praise the little things, just as it is to recognise the huge things that they do. Sometimes I find myself saying, "well done", and clapping, when they eat one spoonful of dinner without whining. Sometimes in a slightly more sarcastic tone, it's a well done for finding a shoe, sometimes it's something they're explaining to me, and I have no real understanding of what it is that they're saying, but they're really pleased with themselves, so I go along with the excitement. 
Sometimes I hear the husband 'fake wowing' to a child's piece of junk modelling, usually followed by, "how long have we got to keep this?" (The husband does however refuse to 'let them win' at races with him, or bundles, because when they actually do nail him for the first time, he wants them to really know it was a win. And enjoy it. Many years of annoyance and tears for this one point he wants to make).

I especially encourage anything I see which feels gospel-based, or Jesus-like. When one of them is selfless to their sibling, without coercion, prodding, teaching or nudging, it's just the best. When one of them is kind, or empathises with a hurt sibling, oh it's such a beautiful thing. When they stand up for someone at school, or stand up for a belief that we have as a family, when they tell the truth, oh it's so precious. These little gems feel quite rare; there is a lot of digging and sieving to pan for the gold, but when you find it, it's priceless. The gold makes all the digging worthwhile. The constant training of kids in the way they should go, is worth it. Sometimes the husband or a friend has to point these gems out to me, when I feel like I'm just digging with little or no reward. And these moments encourage me, they make me feel like I'm doing an okay job raising my kids. 

Jesus spent His time on Earth spotting the gems in sinners' lives. When the religious leaders who pretended to be perfect, saw fault, especially in the women of the day, Jesus saw their hearts instead. I'm encouraged by this, because I know Jesus sees my heart and finds the gems in my own life, when I'm not sure how I'm doing. He sees a gem and shines it, and says "well done". Sometimes as mums, we just get so tired, that our head stays in the sand and we forget that God is panning for gold in us. He uses all kinds of things, including our kids to bring these nuggets of gold to the surface. He is our Heavenly Father who loves us and is proud of us. 


"The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16v7

#nitgate

Sometimes verses in the Bible hold a stronger image for me, than at other times. For example, when I was in Rwanda, the verses about farming and seed planting seemed to make more of an impact than when I was back home in England. "He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully", this meant more to me when I saw the farmers sowing seeds and talking us through how best to cultivate a good crop, than when I just walk around Asda with no real idea as to the work which goes into sowing and reaping. I wouldn't even know which season is best for what, because Asda is 24hours a day, seven days a week...

And when I'm at a wedding where the wine is flowing, it's always fun to remember that Jesus' first miracle, was turning water into the best wine ever tasted, not the two for £6 at Mulberry's.

At this very moment, the verse which keeps running over in my head is, "...there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother". Proverbs 18v24 

And for what wonderful godly reason, is this image sticking with me? Because I'm in the Head lice cycle. And those little suckers are sticking around for longer than I care to mention. Three of my kids' hair is beautifully soft, because we are in the 'conditioner - comb out' stage. They also smell of Tea Tree oil, not so good, because then everyone knows what you're currently dealing with. Well, every mum knows. The kids are about to smell of Vosene, which is an even worse smell, but it's the next recommendation I'm going with. Two of my kids never get them, and one pretends he has them because he loves physical touch and the thought of me stroking his hair is a delight to him.

When I just had boys, I'm sure this whole thing consisted of hair shaving or at least a good old trim. But now I have little females in my life, with thick luscious hair. And I have to comb the little suckers out of that hair, day after day it seems, week after week, I don't know, it feels like year after year at the moment. I have to find their favourite programme on the tele, so they sit still long enough, and then bribe them with anything I can find! And as soon as I even start, my own head starts the nervous itch. Some of you reading, are wanting to have a scratch right now! 

So I'm struck by this verse that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Some of my 'brother combinations' are as thick as thieves, and other pairings, not so much. But the Bible talks of a friend who sticks closer. The Bible describes Jesus as a friend of sinners, one who will never leave us. 

So my encouragement at the moment, is that Jesus sticks closer than even a nit on a strand of hair. And no matter what I do to try and shake Him off, get rid of Him even, he still chooses to stick by me. Of course the analogy falls down in many ways, like Jesus doesn't drive me to despair, and I wouldn't even able to live if He ever left me, whereas I think I'll literally celebrate when I get rid of the nits, maybe with a little trip to Mulberry's...

But right now I'm embracing the notion, with my hair up in a ponytail, that He is sticking with me no matter what.

(One bonus of #nitgate is that there has finally been a use for the hundreds of loom bands lying around the floor).