Time

Today is our 30th Wedding Anniversary and I am sitting here wondering where the years have gone.  It doesn't seem THAT long ago when Nigel and I were married at Ilford Salvation Army but I suppose it is :)

I returned to the Corps a few Sundays ago and met up with 'old' friends - as in age and the amount of years I've known them.  I returned as it was the welcome Sunday for the new Officers, who live 10 mins away from me, so I went to support and I sat there and looked at how young they were!! reality hit me that I was old enough to be their mother!! and that they had been born about the time I started my life as a Salvation Army Officer :0  Oh my - where do the years go?

Alongside the Church of England and the Methodists - I have spent the last seven years endeavouring to secure a place of worship within a new build. To be a presence before the new community arrives rather than an 'afterthought'; this we have achieved with the help of Barking Riverside and the Barking & Dagenham Regeneration Department.

The Rivergate Church is located within The Rivergate Centre, which comprises of a Primary school, resturant and community facilities.

It has taken seven years to get to this point and over the last year, whilst it has been in the building stage, I have represented the three denominations at various design, building and planning meetings.

Sometimes time appears to move quickly, at other times it would appear to move slowly.  We were due to have had the 'handover' last Monday (15th) then I was informed that it would be the 29th now I am informed that the 'Church' has been put on hold so that the school can be completed ready to be opened in time for September.  We've waited seven years for this so I suppose a few more week will not make that much difference and as I am a Governor for the new school - I do agree with the decision.

Nigel and I are also 'waiting' to move into our new quarters.  I have watched it being built, we have chosen the tiles, carpet, flooring, kitchen units and, hopefully, next week we should, for the 1st time, be able to see the completed product inside and then, hopefully again, we shall move in at the end of September.

I have started shopping in the area, had my haircut at the local hairdresser, tested the Chinese and Indian take-aways resturants.  We sold most of the furniture in our current quarters, 85% packed and now our current quarters is on the market and we had the 1st viewing last Saturday.  And so another waiting game until we receive the 'official' move date.

At the age of 19 - thirty years would have seemed a life-time away - good grief I hadn't even reached 20!! and yet the time has flown past. We've had our ups and our downs and we are still here :)) to tell the tale.  What's more we are now stationed three miles away from where we first met.  Life has taken us in a complete circle.

We are the proud parents of one son, Karl, who is 24 and is, as I write, currently at the Edinburgh Fringe endeavouring to 'make it' as a comic.  When he is not performing in various pubs and clubs in London in the evening - he is a Health Trainer for the Barking & Dagenham Faith Forum.

At the age of 23 being commissioned a Salvation Officer alongside my husband - I would never have dreamt that 26 years later I would be part of an ecumencial team involved in a new plant in a new housing area.  Nigel has his own appointment as the Corps Officer for Barking Corps.

We have served together in Northern Ireland, Bangladesh, London, Devon, Ghana, Essex and now for the last seven years here in Barking - although at separate appointment (but we still live in the same house!!)

Nigel, this week, is away at Sunbury Court Recreational Centre with 40 folks from Barking Corps - mainly from the ALOVE group. Karl has been in Edinburgh for the last two weeks and has another week to go - performing a show every evening in one of the Fringe venues and the cats are out doing whatever cats do!!!

As for me?  as well as dialoguing/emailing regarding the new Church plant, new house and cleaning/tiding for viewing of the current quarters - I shall spend the TIME in prayer, reading and going for walks and listening to what God has to say to me...