Puddeling Along...

Remember that time when you were a kid, and the rain would come and make puddles in the street and (because you were a kid and didn't care about the consequences) you'd look for any opportunity just to go and jump in them and splash around? Think of some words to describe that time in life: carefree, exuberant, spontaneous, uninhibited... all the things that stop us jumping in puddles as adults right?

This last week I have been feeling less and less like the proverbial jump in the puddles because I've been stressing about how this year would work out. How many contacts would we get? Would we be faithful stewards with them? Would we be able to get small groups going? Would we have enough leaders.... the questions kept on coming - and being the (only slightly!!!) control personality type that I am - not having the answers was doing my head in.

Yesterday the clouds literally rolled in over Sydney, and UTS. The skies opened and the rain bucketed down. Yesterday was supposed to be one of the most stressful days in the semester for me as we set up small groups and had the first 'Forum' time (small group leader training which is one of my new projects this year). It ended up being a great day. Long story short - I am a silly child of God who always forgets the lesson that He has things in hand: God is just patient enough with us to allow us to make those mistakes again and again and try and learn from them.

It was with a sense of great relief that I caught the train home last night. I was... exuberant. Carefree, joyful and all the rest - all this in spite of the knowledge that I was probably going to get soaked walking back to my car. Getting off the train I rolled up my jeans and took off my shoes to minimise the damage that inevitably comes from sludging through the rain that collects on the streets of Gordon. Halfway to my car I peeked out from under my umbrella and looked around. There were puddles everywhere.

So I jumped in them. I did. I splashed around in the water and just had fun with it.

Yesterday afternoon, like a stark raving lunatic, a 27 yr old played in the puddles. And it was awesome. Try it next time for yourself - go on, I dare you...