Thursday, 4th November

After hearing of disruptions at the Tuesday meetings in Old Woking, I dropped in – after an absence of five months – in case an extra pair of hands would help. Had I kept up with the most recent news I might have been prepared for what I witnessed, but I hadn’t. It was truly shocking.

There was no aggravation, only a really good vibe; no punch-ups or verbal fisticuffs, only polite conversation. When Nick called ‘time’, the majority walked without a murmur, and those that stayed got stuck into tidying up. I even had a broom taken off me by one of the boys because the job had been allocated to him. And after everything was tidy, five boys joined us for the prayer de-brief, where the broom-boy straightaway opened up about difficulties at school and his concern that things were unravelling again; he wanted it to be put right. The difference in him during the evening had probably been the most remarkable, but it was by no means the only change.

One girl who had been a school-refuser told me how she had a plan in place with a new school where she felt really comfortable. It was so refreshing to see her smiling. Another, who had been exploring the boundary-line last time I was around, was chatty and showed me her art-work, a talent I never knew she had before. What humbled me the most was their warmth after I had taken a necessary (but unexplained) step back from their lives; their acceptance reminded me what an honour it is to have been involved in this corner of God’s work.

God has made sure that the recent disruption has been put to His use. Prayer is central – that vibe couldn’t have been achieved without the prayer support from various homes. Judging by Tuesday night, the strong line taken in recent weeks has really hit home and the young people have responded by reining in their behaviour and taking responsibility with both hands. It was always the plan to enable them to become responsible for themselves and others in the running of the ‘club’ (their word) and it’s a huge encouragement to see that starting to evolve.

Sure, the devil doesn’t like to see things going well and there’s no guarantee that things will be so rosy next week, but all those involved should be encouraged and motivated to keep going and to PRAY because a lot of ground has been covered and it won’t go to waste!

Isaiah 40:26-31

Nancy