She told some her story, mainly the beginning. At the age of five she had already decided to be a missionary, not that she had any idea what a missionary did. She was advised by a vicar to get on a boat and see where God told her to get off. That was Hong Kong, which she'd seen in a dream. She started work among the poor and eventually among the drug addicts in the Walled City. She has seen many addicts freed of their addiction. They pray and are prayed for and do not suffer withdrawal. She tells of her early attempts at speaking in tongues saying she just felt silly and didn't feel any different afterwards. It helps you to get more in tune with God and you don't really notice that happening. She speaks constantly about God's kindness. After loosing her husband of seven years she speaks of Gods kindness to them both, and to her for allowing her to have seven years with him. By God's kindness she has been shown that this is not a lost generation of Christians. There are young people out there quietly doing mission away from the spotlight and the Christian press. That is the tone of her conversation.
I'm naturally a sceptic, I struggle to believe in the hype, the latest greatest invention or discovery, miracles that people say have happened. I'm always looking for the alternative explanation. It's hard to remain sceptical when there's a lady sitting talking about it in a matter-of-fact way. There's no hype with Jackie, seemingly no agenda, although she does love telling people about Jesus by her own admission. She just sits there and talks about her experiences like I talk about my bus journeys. Except with Jackie God's kindness shows. In Sunday's sermon I asked "if God is bigger than us and inside us does he show through?" (see the previous blog entry). I had no idea that I would be given such a clear demonstration of just how God shows through.
If, like me, you've ever thought there must be more to the Christian life than you're experiencing right now, here is a superb example of what that more may look like. There is more - lots more, always lots more. I know that because it's in scripture - the reading I've just preached on (Ephesians 3:14-21). I have seen it too because I have seen Jackie and listened to her story. Of course, I'm not five and I've never felt called to be a missionary. In my life it will look different - but not that different.
After the show was recorded there was a word in tongues, and an interpretation. Somewhere in that I heard the words "Its not too late". It's never too late - that's the exiting news for me as I prepare to pass five for the eleventh time.
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