Open Air: Travelling On

For those readers who sometimes think “It’s all about him all the time!” - allow me to present you with an account of one day in the life of our friend Peter. A few weeks ago he let me glance at his diary of jottings about his travels, and was kind enough to let me photocopy a couple of pages from it. Please note that they are just jottings, and though I’ve tidied them up a bit, I have a sneaking suspicion that I didn’t get all the pages in the right order. Never mind! You’ll still get the idea.

Monday May 5^th

Trip to Lytham, Fairhaven and Blackpool. Text 1*: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46.10.) “Be still”, stop, most likely a call to repent of raging against God and warring against people. Text 2*: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”. (1 Timothy 2.5.) Prayer must be lifted up for all kinds of people, because there is only one God of all men.

I walked into Leeds. I gave myself 25 minutes before the train to Blackpool at 11.55. I had to fight through 150,000 football fans celebrating the end of the season. By the time I arrived at the platform 10 minutes late, the train was late as well because of the chaos.

I changed trains at Preston with 5 minutes to wait for the Lytham train. Just past Kirkham I noticed a deer. It reminded me of Psalm 42. “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” “Hart”, a male deer or stag. “Panteth”, longs for or craves. “Water brooks”, the deepest part of a valley, flowing with water, a stream bed. The picture is one of pursuit and consequent exhaustion and thirst from this, rather than from drought.

Finally I arrived in Lytham. Multitudes of visitors enjoying sun and seaside, picnics and ice cream vendors. A car stopped. I witnessed for five minutes. Think he was open to the gospel. His wife was listening, too. Amos 5.8: “Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name”.

I had arrived in Lytham at 2.00 o’clock. As I walked to Fairhaven and St Annes, saw many ponds, fish, and day-old ducklings. Many people were reading my texts. “I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees”. (Ecclesiastes 2.5-6.) Thought of the hymn, “All things bright and beautiful.”

Walked through St Anne’s famous sandhills. Took me to the scripture, “Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?” (Jeremiah 5.22.) There is nothing more foolish than a failure to follow the Almighty. As the powerful sea cannot alter God’s established borders for it, so sinners cannot escape his judgment.

2 Samuel 2.23-24: “The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.” I arrived at Starr Gate in Blackpool, went past the Pleasure Beach and arrived at Blackpool Tower at 6.20.

[* The ones on Peter’s Gospel Text Boards, that is.]

Peter’s travels take him through many towns and cities, usually in far less attractive places than those described above, and often in the worst of weather. How many of us would be prepared to walk through the centre of our own (or of any) town carrying bible texts displayed on sandwich boards in front of us and behind us? Not all that many, I would guess. Please remember him in your prayers. He deserves our support in his gospel ministry.

As for last Wednesday, it was another hectic afternoon. I was very pleased that Gareth, Jason, and Kieran came along to join us, and we left them to take the second shift, as it were, when we made our way home.

The forecast is fine for next Wednesday, and it looks like the sunshine is back for a few days at least. Must remember to pack my sun hat! Join us if you can, and pray for us if you can’t, if our Lord puts it upon your heart to do so.

Every blessing!