Where there is unity the Lord commands a blessing and where there is not unity ...

 

In this challenging year, 2020, people have varying ideas and ways of doing almost everything. It’s as if someone has picked up the world and shaken it and everything is all over the place. There is rarely the type of unity that might cause God to intervene in the way we need. The type we experienced in our often-quoted New Zealand Holiday.

 

Photo - four of us plus friends we met 

On our New Zealand holiday, back when we were young, the five of us were a close, unified group and – perhaps as a result of this – we received an amazing amount of God’s provision. He looked after us like His very special kids.

(Well, aren’t we all His special kids! And we were very tired kids after a year in a live-in Bible College for the others and a year’s teaching and other work for me. We all needed this holiday.)

On our holiday we often received ‘miraculous’ provision and protection.  God sent strangers to give us meals we craved but could not buy, exciting places to sleep, friends to offer accommodation all over N.Z., and weather to show off His creation to its best advantage.

So we were all but spoilt and perhaps ill-equipped to cope with even small hardships.

 Yet we were candidates for His blessing because of our care for one another and our unity. (Ps 133)

 

The exception

Except for one day …

 

‘Girls,’ Peter grumbled one morning as we tipped muesli into our bowls, ‘what do you do every night after we all go to bed? I can’t go to sleep because of your rattling and clattering.’

‘Just doing our hair and all the bits and pieces,’ I replied cheerfully. ‘Face cream and whatnot.’

Peter snorted. ‘You’ll have to find a way to get it all done before we turn the lights off. We need our sleep with all this driving.’ (Admittedly, Peter was doing most of the driving and did a great job of getting us safely around the country in a bomby old car.)

 

Suddenly I was angry with Peter for taking such a strong lead. Who did he think he was? 

‘Peter,’ I said, ‘you’re getting bossy. We girls have more to do before bed than you guys. You always want your own way.’ (I now realise he wanted what was best for the group as a whole.)

Peter and I argued for several minutes. Then …

 

‘It’s time to leave if we want to get to Wellington before nightfall,’ he announced. He grabbed his backpack and marched off to the car. He was driving and I had the place beside him that day.

All the way from our motor camp to the next town, we drove in silence.

Peter looked straight ahead.

I looked straight ahead too.  

Sometimes I peeped furtively at Peter, who seemed to be all nose and beard. Sneaking a look over my shoulder, I saw three pairs of eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter. Nobody dared say a word.

 

There was a tangible absence of the Presence of God.

 

I’d blown it! I could at least have told him my grievance more tactfully.

  





Photo North Island NZ (thanks Pixabay)

 

Late that evening as the long twilight sank towards darkness, we five weary, dirty and bedraggled travellers searched high and low for an appealing place to spend the night. God always provided one – didn’t He? All the motor camps in the area were full. As were the Youth Hostels. God had always provided delightful little huts or Youth Hostels for us to spend our nights. Now there was no room in the inns. None of them.

 

A thought niggled and whispered at the edge of my mind. Surely God wouldn’t …?

 

A night among the needy

 Eventually we gave in to the inevitable and, late and tired in the dark, we joined a straggling queue of homeless, derelict or alcohol-dependent people to spend a night in a hostel for the needy. We stood in glum silence. Peter and I still hadn’t spoken. Rod’s guitar sat silent, tied on top of his pack.

 

Back to blessing

 After a shower and a good night’s sleep in a real bed, I was ready to smile and apologise to Peter. So over bacon and eggs, we both apologised and laughed at ourselves, then set off early in our bright orange car.

 I must mention that without Peter’s excellent leadership and planning, we’d have spent several nights beside the road, shivering in our car, Amazing Gracie.

 ‘Well,’ said one of the girls, ‘where there is unity, the Lord blesses, and where there isn’t . . . I guess He doesn’t.’

We were very thankful, though, to have had a good shower and a solid meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

  1. Unknown19 January 2021 at 23:00

    That is a reminder of the years I spent in New Zealand 1974 to 2007)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jeanette Grant-Thomson21 January 2021 at 02:33

    It's very beautiful, isn't it. Thanks for commenting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Birdee9 April 2021 at 20:36

    Enjoyed another insightful story based on your youthful NZ adventures. Peter was a brave (and perhaps sometimes fortunate!) man driving you girls all around the place. Compromise, forgiveness and unity eh.....not an easy path for human nature at times. We sure need divine help with this eh. Bless you. Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jeanette Grant-Thomson10 April 2021 at 01:42

    Peter was not the only guy. He was more or less the leader. There was one other guy all the time and sometimes a few. I don't know how we all crammed into that old car. Thanks for commenting. Is 'Birdee' LD?

    ReplyDelete

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