By Alison Hall
Since 2005, New Year’s Eve at Gladstone Baptist Church has seen a faithful number of us getting together to worship God, share a testimony of His goodness, pray for the forthcoming year with respect to our Church and church family, our ministries and then to end the evening with communion and praying together for each person who is attending.
It has been a wonderful way to end or/and start the year enjoying Communion as the “last” or the “first” meal of our year.
The event is on our calendar every year and part of our plan for this year, 2020.
When I arrived home in the early hours of January 1st, this year, I took out my new diary and made notes making plans for the dates ahead. Important events, like my preaching appointments, the Qld Baptist Convention, the Anew conferences, The Emmaus Walks in the first two weekends in May where I was to serve on team as an assistant Spiritual Director, not to mention our Church Quarterly Prayer meetings, training weekends and a big family holiday to celebrate the 40th birthday of my twins.
As you can imagine, with what is happening at the moment with the Covid 19 virus, my plans, the plans of my Church, my family and Qld Baptist plans have all been put on hold.
It is a strange place to be in. Life is no longer so unbelievably busy. There is finally time to think and time to pray and time to pick up that study that has been put to one side.
I am afraid to say that that is not where I am, at the moment, as my husband David is recovering from surgery for the radiation enteritis that he has suffered from since he had chemo, radiation and surgery for bowel cancer in 2013.
The PET scan shows no cancer and we are very grateful to God for that but the reality is that the struggle is “on going” for now.
Trusting in God for His provision is the only way ahead. Seeking His plans and purposes also, but the one thing that keeps me going at the moment is the small band of prayer warriors I have who continue to uphold me, David and our family to The Lord in prayer.
There are times I feel unable to pray but I know others are praying.
I give God all the honour and all the Glory for the gift he gives us that is an important part of our spiritual armour as it says in Ephesians 6:18
“18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
We serve a wonderful, amazing, awesome God who is there every step of the way. No matter what, He will not leave us nor forsake us. He is on this journey with me and with David and we give Him all the honour and all the Glory and Praise.
Alison Hall married to David for 46 years. Worked as Administrator at Gladstone Baptist Church since 2003. Registered as Qld Baptist Pastor in 2011 and called as Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care since 2016. Her prayer each morning is for the Lord to show her where He is working and let her know if He wants her to join Him in that work.
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