Setting the pieces in place from way back - the ultimate logistics planner!

Don't you love it when you go along to an event, and it just seems to be filled with lots of little individual occurrences that show how God has been quietly preparing the way for ages, often even before the event came on our radar?

Well Wednesday last week was one of those days for me. I was so encouraged by the series of events and I hope that through sharing it you are similarly encouraged in the knowledge that God is also preparing things for you.

The event in question was a Service of Remembrance at the open-air Woodland Memorial Gardens. I had been invited to lay a wreath as representing the local community, and Tim was accompanying me as my consort (a role that until now he has declined to take up).

So we drive up to the carpark, I pop my chain of office on, and we walk towards the reception area. As we are going I'm very aware that everyone knows who I am, thanks to the chain around my neck, but Tim doesn't really know anyone, and his role in this instance is seen as 'the mayors other half'. 

Imagine my delight when we get towards the reception and find that the Army Padre who will be leading the service is Paul Green, a chaplain serving in the army and a member of Thornbury Baptist, our church! At that point there wasn't much time for chatting together, but it was great to have that immediate connection, one based on Tim and I as church members rather than me as mayor.

After the service we got a chance to chat and catch up with Paul properly, and at that point I found out that ordinarily the chaplain who leads this service is a different Padre, one whom I don't know at all. It was only 2 weeks prior to the service that Paul got drafted in, as the original Padre realised he would be in Iraq visiting his troops. For me, that was a sign that God is taking care of all the details, including ensuring there is someone at the service who Tim can relate to in his own capacity.

There were 3 other little examples of God paving the way -
The first was the presence of Erica, the Chair of South Glos council who I happened to have met at 2 different occasions in the past 2 months, but prior to that had never met. As a result she knew me and vice versa, and so rather than me having no clue about what was happening when, I was able to tag along with Erica and be guided by her.

The second was the timing of this event with another one. The previous Friday I had attended a celebration of the Queens 90th birthday at one of the local primary schools. As a result I had met all the staff, and also the students had seen me in my robes, but also seen me happy to get stuck in and take part in the activities. When Tim and I arrived at the service of remembrance, a staff member and 3 pupils from this particular school were also there, but looking slightly unsure as to what the order of events was. I was so glad that I'd been at their school the previous week, as it made for a quick and relaxed hello, and allowed me to help them sort out where to be when, without my chain of office being a barrier or making me seem unapproachable.

Similarly the other primary school represented was the school that I am a governor at, so again they all know me, and I was able to calm nerves by being a familiar face in an unfamiliar setting.

It was a lovely service, a special day, and a wonderful reminder that God is always at work, quietly, behind the scenes, paving the way. Our role in it all - to be open and alert to His guiding, responding to the opportunities He provides, and willing to walk the way He is paving. 

I'm doing my best on that front - failing miserably at times I admit, but doing my best! 
Thanking God for His forgiving nature and His grace and patience.Setting the pieces in place from way back - the ultimate logistics planner!

Don't you love it when you go along to an event, and it just seems to be filled with lots of little individual occurrences that show how God has been quietly preparing the way for ages, often even before the event came on our radar?

Well Wednesday last week was one of those days for me. I was so encouraged by the series of events and I hope that through sharing it you are similarly encouraged in the knowledge that God is also preparing things for you.

The event in question was a Service of Remembrance at the open-air Woodland Memorial Gardens. I had been invited to lay a wreath as representing the local community, and Tim was accompanying me as my consort (a role that until now he has declined to take up).

So we drive up to the carpark, I pop my chain of office on, and we walk towards the reception area. As we are going I'm very aware that everyone knows who I am, thanks to the chain around my neck, but Tim doesn't really know anyone, and his role in this instance is seen as 'the mayors other half'. 

Imagine my delight when we get towards the reception and find that the Army Padre who will be leading the service is Paul Green, a chaplain serving in the army and a member of Thornbury Baptist, our church! At that point there wasn't much time for chatting together, but it was great to have that immediate connection, one based on Tim and I as church members rather than me as mayor.

After the service we got a chance to chat and catch up with Paul properly, and at that point I found out that ordinarily the chaplain who leads this service is a different Padre, one whom I don't know at all. It was only 2 weeks prior to the service that Paul got drafted in, as the original Padre realised he would be in Iraq visiting his troops. For me, that was a sign that God is taking care of all the details, including ensuring there is someone at the service who Tim can relate to in his own capacity.

There were 3 other little examples of God paving the way -
The first was the presence of Erica, the Chair of South Glos council who I happened to have met at 2 different occasions in the past 2 months, but prior to that had never met. As a result she knew me and vice versa, and so rather than me having no clue about what was happening when, I was able to tag along with Erica and be guided by her.

The second was the timing of this event with another one. The previous Friday I had attended a celebration of the Queens 90th birthday at one of the local primary schools. As a result I had met all the staff, and also the students had seen me in my robes, but also seen me happy to get stuck in and take part in the activities. When Tim and I arrived at the service of remembrance, a staff member and 3 pupils from this particular school were also there, but looking slightly unsure as to what the order of events was. I was so glad that I'd been at their school the previous week, as it made for a quick and relaxed hello, and allowed me to help them sort out where to be when, without my chain of office being a barrier or making me seem unapproachable.

Similarly the other primary school represented was the school that I am a governor at, so again they all know me, and I was able to calm nerves by being a familiar face in an unfamiliar setting.

It was a lovely service, a special day, and a wonderful reminder that God is always at work, quietly, behind the scenes, paving the way. Our role in it all - to be open and alert to His guiding, responding to the opportunities He provides, and willing to walk the way He is paving. 

I'm doing my best on that front - failing miserably at times I admit, but doing my best! 
Thanking God for His forgiving nature and His grace and patience.

6 weeks into post!

Town council works in 6 week cycles, and today is the end of the first of those cycles since I've been Chair of Council and Mayor of Thornbury. So it seems like a good day to have a little reflect on what it's been like so far, and to give thanks and praise to God for some beautiful opportunities to serve Him in this role.

It certainly hasn't been a quiet start to the role! In the past 6 weeks I've met with head teachers of all the schools in Thornbury area - primary, secondary and special needs schools. I've also met with the local police, the town centre partnership committee and the chair of chamber of commerce. I've had the privilege of doing a ribbon cutting ceremony, been to a concert for Christian Aid, been to a belly-dancing and Arabian dancing fundraiser evening for JIGSAW, handed out certificates at some collaborative projects between school and local industries, been to a business forum and linked up charity and business reps who can support each other, spoken at a Rotary dinner, attended a 90th birthday party for the Queen at a primary school, stood in a stream to raise awareness for Christian Aid, been dressed up in a recycled outfit for a Trashion Show, played table tennis with some of the young people at the local youth group and supported an event for Brain Tumour Support.

Exhausted? Yes, it is a bit tiring to think it all through, but what has been the key for me in it all are the reminders at each of the events of how special it is for folks to be able to say that the Mayor turned up. I hadn't really stopped to think about this aspect before. I guess because I always know the mayor as just one of my fellow councillors, the perception of that role from outside had passed me by.

At the youth club the other evening, one of the lads stopped his 'tough' act to ask questions about the process of becoming mayor, whilst another wanted a selfie with the mayor so he could show his mum! Little things in some ways, but for these lads, the fact that the mayor was interested in their youth club clearly meant a lot.

The opportunities to network and link people together has been really wonderful. Being Mayor opens doors, and as a result I've been able to link JIGSAW up with a number of different people and projects and possible pots of money / sponsorship, that was just not happening before. God is opening doors, and using the mayoral role for so much good, and it's an honour to be part of the process.

There is still plenty to come - tomorrow I launch the Mayors Youth Awards as a vehicle to raise awareness of the many wonderful young people we have in the town doing good works. Next week we have a new town clerk starting so there will be work needed there to help her settle into her role. I'd like to initiate some sort of Asset-Based Community Development conversations to help people find positive angles to living in Thorbbury rather than getting dragged into the mire of unwanted housing developments.

And I have lots of appointments in the diary already of upcoming requests for the mayor's presence. Lots more opportunities to say a 'few words', to raise people up, to promote fabulous projects, and to link people together. Lots more opportunities to try and demonstrate God's love in practical ways, and to be ready to chat about how my faith fits in with life when the conversation turns that way (which it has done on a number of occasions already). 

But that's what I signed up for, and I have to say this is one of the best things I ever agreed to do in Thornbury. Do I wish I'd done it earlier? No, because then JIGSAW wouldn't have been ready for all the development and growth that is coming its way now through being the mayors charity. And in previous years I was working full time, so couldn't have fitted in as much mayor-ing as now. And in previous years the girls were at home and I'd have had to be a bit more restrained so as not to make their lives a misery by having their mum as the mayor. 

No, this is the right year. God always gets the timing right, and I can see in so many ways how this is the case for me at this moment.

So, thank you Lord for this wonderful opportunity to serve You in this way; praise You for all the different people, projects and places I am able to go to; and I pray that in all things I will be seen as a mayor who serves - the people, the community, and the one true God.