Food for the Journey
ARISE!
Practising the presence of God by Pippa Baker
I am blessed to work with the Church all over the UK which means that I spend many hours – and a fair bit of money – on train trips. Towards the end of last year living out of a suitcase had begun to take a toll and as a result, I had missed a couple of my trains. For some reason this really grated on me, and I ‘lost my cool’ more than I would like to admit. A week or so later, I was heading to the station again when my plans were disrupted by a cancelled cab and I realised I was about to miss another train. Memories of my recent frustration popped into my mind - and
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the temptation to misplace my peace arose within me again - so slightly halfheartedly I turned to the Holy Spirit. “OK Lord, I want to live differently today: help me be at peace and to live in your presence.” I quietly ordered another taxi and thought I may as well try to get on the next train to London, knowing my ticket wouldn’t be valid. As I boarded the train, I prayed again, “Lord, send me a nice ticket inspector who will be alright with this situation!” When the inspector entered the carriage, I sensed this deep peace in my heart: if I had to pay the extra fare -
even if it would have been a real stretch for me - God would provide. When the inspector reached my seat I explained what happened and waited for his response. His eyes crinkled up into a smile behind his mask as he replied, “No worries love, these things happen!” I was so relieved, and thanked him, mentioning I had been praying for a friendly ticket person. The next thing I knew, he had upgraded me to first class, and handed me a free coffee and a sweet treat. As if that wasn’t enough of a blessing, my excitement reached a climax as I noticed that the label on the snack read ‘Heavenly Bakes’. It’s
