Vital Link No 74 Spring 2019 | Page 7

Not Where I Used to Be By Jenny Edwards M.B.E On my desk at work I have a box containing lots of different sayings I have collected. One of these says “I am not where I need to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be!” I will soon be travelling to visit my friend Gill near Oxford. This is a journey I have taken many times over a great many years. Gill and I met when I was in my 20’s at an annual Ladies Christian Conference in Weston Super Mare. Both having hearing problems, we made a good team when trying to understand speakers and so we often sat together. This led to a friendship that has lasted all the intervening years. Back then we were both young Christians, both in the nursing profession and both single so we had a lot in common. Over the years things have changed, there have been good times and some not so good times, but the area that I find amazing is that in Christ we have grown together, reaching certain milestones in our Christian faith at similar times and being able to share them with one another. It is very obvious that we have both grown in our relationship with our Saviour, and we have been encouraged by each other as we spend time together. Neither of us are still where we were in the 1960/70’s, our relationship with God has been an exciting journey we have shared together, and as we now spend holidays with one another and visit each other in-between, we are able to share fellowship and pray together with a faith that has grown over all these years. I think I can speak for Gill when I say we have grown in Christ and will continue to grow until we meet him face to face. I would imagine many of you reading this can identify with us, knowing and thanking God that you are not where you need to be, BUT you are also not where you used to be! Praise the Lord. In Memory of Jean Tuck Please join with us in praying for the family and friends of Jean Tuck, a recent Wheels team member who sadly died a few days after returning from the Nigeria trip when she suffered a sudden ruptured aortic aneurysm. Her doctors have said that the problem was not caused by her trip to Nigeria, as it was part of a previously undiagnosed condition. All of us are shocked–the Nigeria team in particular, having been with her so recently–and send our love to all who knew her. Her family wrote to say… ‘Jean’s sudden death has come as a great shock to us all, but we’ve found great comfort in knowing that she’d been able to use her experience and skills to serve the Lord by being part of the Wheels for the World team in Nigeria so recently. Her compassion and her readiness to serve are values we want to continue. We’re grateful for the kindness of the team members who’ve Jean (far left) and the rest of the Nigeria team been in touch with us, and those who came to the service of thanksgiving for Jean’s life.’ www.throughtheroof.org