Old Friends

I had to pop out this afternoon, didn't really want to but with it being the Sabbath tomorrow and a bank holiday here on Monday, it was today or never. I only went up to the supermarket, but as usual stopped for a coffee while there. And an old friend who I'd lost contact through circumstances more than anything else came in with her mother and daughter. She is also a full time wheelchair user, and tho I wouldn't go as far to say she is a believer, I did meet her at my former church. But things that turned me away from that church, (at least the nature of them)also turned her away, and she hasn't been to another church since, tho because she did attend mine for awhile, in her own mind, she is a believer. But, she's a nice person nonetheless. So it was nice to catch up, and also swap contact details as both of ours have changed since we last saw one another about 18 months ago. God does somehow seem to use my link with that church, as bad as I feel the experience was personally in different ways. The last time I attended there, I met properly for the first time, which again was just over a year ago, but I met who is now my closest friend here. It struck me last nite, that those Christians who disagree and in some way find offensive my RP beliefs, that when I first knew them all, I didn't have those beliefs. Yet this person I made friends with at the last time I attended, my beliefs were the same as now, and its made not on iota of difference. Richard Cameron when he spoke up for his beliefs also had a similar reaction from those more respected Christians or older folks, so it doesn't seem that dissimilar, with him it was because his beliefs was by implication saying those older or more respected Christians were wrong and even sinning, which is basically what my adherence to the RPW, would say. I think that speaks quite loudly.Yet, somehow God seems to use the contact I had with that church in the past in the present more than anything else in my day to day life. Its strange tho how one of the biggest thorns in my side day to day, (which the way the isolation has increased the whole load it will only ever be) even tho I left over a year ago, contacts from there and people I met there, is ongoing, especially when one considers the initial friends when I what was had average Christian beliefs are really not in the picture alot. God sure does work in mysterious ways. But its always good to renew old friendships.

While out, I got called, "bab," (that one used to irritate me but its the one folks still use most often, "petal" "sweetheart" and "love" by perfect strangers. I don't know if this is an English thing where you always call folks a name like that, or if it goes on abroad too. I never call anyone anything, except a dog maybe or a child, but that's different. But it strikes me as a peculiar practice. |