Hello from Blackpool!

At least, that’s where I am writing this. I joined Starbeck Brigades for a day on their canvas camp at Kirkham, near Blackpool. This morning we were at a Maize maze (see photo). I was surprised at how tall the Maize was. So tall that if you were lost you had to raise a flag so that the lookout could see you and find you. As we were walking around we couldn’t see the kids, who had gone in separate groups to explore, but we could hear them singing “This is A-Maize-ing Grace”!

The maze was a path that twisted and turned. Occasionally you found yourself in a large area. Around the corner there might be an activity board with a number on it. The number helped you to find where you were on the Maze map. What I found a-maize-ing was that the layout of the maze was a scarecrow!

In life, there may be times when we feel ‘lost’ and weak and could do with a map to tell us where to go next. A dip into the Bible can help us to find ourselves; we are part of God’s layout, his great plan for his people.

Today’s Bible reading on the website of the Methodist Church of Great Britain is from Micah 3:11 and reminds us, that when we ‘raise our flag’, ‘Surely the Lord is with us! No harm shall come upon us. ‘

But also, God can be surprising! We may come across signs of God’s presence and activities that God wants us to be involved in. When we follow God’s call, the path can take many unexpected twists and turns.

Through it all, we can be certain that God is with us. We can trust in Him to lead us on the right path, in the right direction.

How do we know? The Lord told Paul ‘my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Corinthians 12:9).

This is A-Maize-ing Grace!