Since my recent “transformation” I have had the immense joy of meeting, and getting to know, all the people my dear missus has talked about since she joined the Church – especially those in our housegroup.
If you thought of a mixed bunch of people in rural England, with most of us not actually being *from* rural England… you’d get an idea of what the group is like. We’re led by the Irish, with another Irish contingent, there are northerners, southerners, midlanders… and a couple of cousins from over the pond.
I have to say that I am rapidly coming to feel a part of the group and they have all made me feel so welcome and loved… and I hope that they are fully aware of how much I appreciate them and all they have done, and just how much they are all coming to mean to me.
The pondside contingent have a blog that they keep for updating their family and, being the nosey so-and-so I am, I stumbled across it the other day.
I’ve found it to be a really amusing, touching, honest and (at times) blunt story of their relocation over to the UK and how they are coping along with all their adventures. I have also found myself being hugely challenged.
Challenged?
Yup – Challenged… because along with their holidays and shopping struggles, driving adventures and family giggles, there has also been discussion of their faith and how it is so core in their family. It’s that aspect of their lives that really hit’s me hard because it’s just not in our family life. God is there… but time with God as a family isn’t. It just isn’t something that I have every pushed for or pursued.
Before I was an atheist, in the time when I was a kerazee Christian, I never encouraged us to pray as a family and nor as a couple. The bible was a book for groups, prayer meetings and services and that was it.
Since my transformation again I have been soooooooo hungry for prayer and I am also trying to discover the bible in my personal walk… but it’s still not all there in my family life.
Our daughter went on Youth camp the other month and came back changed – full of joy and passion for God – and we have been doing a daily bible study type thing with her which is really great and has been brilliant fun.
BUT WE NEED MORE!
It’s so hard knowing that I should be encouraging praying together, and reading together, but not doing it… I struggle with the fact that I find praying, and reading the bible, with my other half such a hard thing to even try to do. If I’m honest about it – I find it a really daunting prospect and I know that is illogical and a stupid way to feel but I do feel that way.
I’m praying for a breakthrough on this and I know that I need to take the lead and sit down and do something about it… *gulp*
(p.s. if any of the housegroup folks see this, especially our american friends, and aren’t comfortable with some of what I’ve said – please clobber me and let me know… I’m all too willing to edit and correct things – the last thing I want to do is upset or offend anyone!)
(It’s not as grim as it sounds – we both seem to end up wanting to do the run. It’s a couple of hours out of the house for some peace and quiet and I love using the time to pray)