Hi all,

I wasn't going to post this, but I wrote Phil privately and he suggested I 
might think of writing it up for you all so, with a certain amount of 
healthy "fear and trepidation", I begin:

The last time Phil and I prayed together was a little while after God had 
begun to restore my health and sleeping.  I had reached the stage where I 
was keen, once again, either to take up the Christian helpline work in which 
I had been involved or to seek God for another way of spreading His love and 
His Word to very needy and hurting people.  (At this juncture I should just 
mention that I only ever see in picture language when He gives me a picture 
. . ..)

As we prayed, I found myself standing in a garden, looking around at all 
that was going on.  There were lots of things, but my attention was drawn to 
a corner of the garden which was overgrown, unkept and different from the 
rest.  . . ..  Soon I found I was doing a strange thing (for me anyway).  I 
was removing large clumps of something and placing it very carefully in 
another part of the garden.  When I asked Him for explanation, He showed me 
that those lumps of earth, maybe appearing as weeds, were people, almost 
dead, waiting for help.  I was simply picking them up and placing them where 
He wanted them.

**   **    **

Now we jump to that very sad shooting the other day.  I looked up some 
accounts given on the BBC web site and was very drawn to the following. 
(Apologies to those who may have heard this already but it's important I 
give it here.)

"Student describes shooting spree
"Nikolas Macko
"Student's account
Ni"kolas Macko was in class at Virginia Tech when a gunman entered the 
building and started shooting. He described the experience to the BBC News 
website.


 "I was in class in Norris Hall at around 0940 when we heard a series of 
loud bangs coming from the hallway.

"The sound did not register immediately, even though it was startlingly 
loud.

"When it started again seconds later, the girl sitting by the door decided 
to close the door.

"She peeked out into the hallway, and saw the shooter, so she immediately 
closed the door shut.

"Three other students moved a table that was in front of the room and 
barricaded it against the door.

"A few seconds later, the shooter tried to open the door, but my classmates 
kept it well shut, as they held the table against it.

"The shooter shot the door twice at chest level, which resulted in two holes 
in the door, one of which hit the podium in the front of the classroom and 
the
other continued out the window.

"'At this point he reloaded, shot the door again - this shot did not 
penetrate - and moved on to the other classrooms.*"

I kept returning to that quote over the next 24 hours and knew the Lord was 
saying something very important to me.  Suddenly I understood.

That young lady did a very small thing, quietly, gently, determinedly 
closing the door - - and it saved many lives.  There was a wonderful picture 
of what God has for me!

I still don't know exactly where or how and of course they may just be 
"incidents which happen" with no "special place of work" attached.

Please, if you can, do pray about this with me.  I so want not to waste any 
more time being sick but want to get on with His will in His way, to His 
glory!

--
Carol - Reading, UK

To you, o Lord, I lift up my soul;
In You I trust, o my God.  . . .."  PS25:1-2 NIV.