Keeping It In Focus
Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote many years ago:
"There is no place where God is not. God is there in a thousand wonders, upholding rocky barriers, filling the buttercups with their perfume and refreshing the lonely pines with the breath of his mouth. Descend…into the lowest depths of the ocean, where undisturbed water sleeps, and the very sand is motionless in unbroken quiet, but the glory of the Lord is there, revealing its excellence in the silent palace of the sea. Borrow the wings of the morning and fly to the uttermost parts of the sea, but God is there."
His beauty is stamped in all of creation:
The glory of God can be seen
from the smallest raindrop
to the mighty flash of lightning;
from the tiny rosebud
to the huge magnolia blossom;
from the rich, fertile soil of the Mississippi Delta
to the arid, dusty land of the desert.
We can see His stamp of glory in all the world,
from the music of a sparkling brook
to the majestic tumbling waterfall;
from the gnarled, gentle hands of a loving grandfather
to the birth-fresh fragility of a baby’s fingernail;
from the silence of the stars to the peal of thunder;
from the mirror-like smoothness of a placid lake
to the wind-driven thunderous waves smashing on the shore.
In the fresh greenery of the spring; in the dazzling color of autumn; in the joy of discovery on a baby’s face; and in the fulfillment and meaning of the New Birth, we can see the glory of God.
It is hard to believe that we are at the end of the year already; it seems only yesterday that I was penning the first newsletter article for 2024. The reflection above reminds me of how blessed we are in our region, and of the many times I have seen God at work in and through our communities as I have visited schools and ECS’s throughout this year.
Our learning communities are places of care and nurture, and whether you are in a rural, city or remote location, the very real presence of Christ is felt by our families through the work and witness of our people. In a time when society is less and less certain of what is true and right, we are beacons of hope and communities of forgiveness where all are welcome.
My heartfelt thanks to all who serve in our schools and ECS’s for your dedication and commitment to bettering the lives of our young people and their families. I pray God’s richest blessings for all our communities, and trust that the coming break and the promise that is in celebrating the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will keep you all safe and bring you to new life in 2025.
Christmas Blessings,
Colin Minke
LEVNT Director
