Author: Sue Wilson

Sue’s Views

How are you holding up? This tree looks fine from the side where most people walk by. It seems stable and strong. But from the other side …..  we can see it is crumbling under the pressure. Many of us are like that tree. We show a side to others that appears we have it all together ….. while we are actually not doing so well. The challenges of the last few years have affected us all. Some have gone through a storm that was sudden and fierce. But for most ….. it has been a slow process of erosion. One thing after another with little time to process in between. We keep going because we have to …..but the weight we are carrying makes us tired. If you relate ….. know that you are not alone. Sharing your burdens with a friend or someone you can trust is a big part of your recovery. But talking to Jesus is the best medicine. He understands more than anyone. He doesn’t promise to take the trials away ….. but to help us overcome them.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Sue’s Views

Yesterday hubby and I drove to the coast and went for a long walk. It was so nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life ….. and experience the peace and tranquility of the beach. We were only away for a couple of hours but it felt like a holiday. We walked and talked and ideas started to flow and plans began to fall into place. We returned home feeling refreshed and excited about the future. It’s hard to hear God’s voice when your head is full of noise and other distractions. But time spent with Him can bring you back on track ….. and open your eyes to His plans and purpose. We can’t always physically remove ourselves from everyday life and it’s cares ….. but we can take a mental break. Go outside ….. listen to some uplifting music ….. read your Bible ….. do something that gives you joy! God has so much to say! He speaks to us in many ways and He’ll use whatever opportunity we give him. 

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

Sue’s Views

When it comes to chocolates ….. we all have our favourites ….. and our least favourites. But whether or not you like Turkish delight or cherry ripe ….. you get to choose one over another. With that knowledge ….. I used to find it hard to understand the principle that I am chosen by God. I would look at all the other people in the world who were doing amazing things and were far more loveable than me ….. and think ‘How could God choose me?’ I would try harder ….. but still stayed at the bottom of the list in my eyes. I came to accept the fact that there would always be people more popular ….. smarter ….. and attractive ….. but at least I was part of God’s family. But as I got to know my Heavenly Father better ….. I realised He doesn’t see things through my eyes! Through His ….. we are all chosen ….. we are all His favourites! He doesn’t compare us with anyone else. He doesn’t pick one over another! He made us all uniquely different so who are we to reject ourselves ….. or allow anyone else to reject us? 

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” 

Psalm 84:11

Sue’s Views

What makes young people so wreckless and foolhardy as we’ve seen in our nation recently? I can only think that the powerful desire to belong is greater than the desire to be safe. The devil is ….. and always has been ….. a liar! Lying is the only language he knows ….. and he is very smart to use it for his own ends. He twists ….. questions and manipulates ….. the truth. One of his greatest schemes is the Spirit of Rejection. Through family breakdowns ….. damning words ….. drugs etc ….. very young kids get the message they are unwanted ….. useless ….. and hopeless. They will do anything to belong! 

Listen to God’s Words to the nation of Israel ….. a nation of rebellious people who continually turned their backs on God and wanted to do things their way.

“But now, God’s Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: “Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end— Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.” Isaiah 43:1 (Message Bible)

Sue’s Views

Being a parent is one of the most challenging ….. but rewarding roles in life. The first year of a child’s life is full of changes. From a helpless baby needing constant care and attention ….. to a child with his or her own personality. It amazes me that babies come filled with potential and purpose. It’s like unpacking a gift! But it’s a gift that keeps on giving. Each life is uniquely designed by God. It contains all the elements required to become a successful person. Our job as parents is to discover what’s inside ….. and help nurture and encourage them in the right direction. Of course ….. they come with their own will ….. and will present many challenges ….. as they grow and learn. But praying over them will help you see them through God’s eyes. Make the most of each stage ….. it will never come back again!

‘Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.’ Proverbs 22:6

Sue’s Views

What is faith? The dictionary defines it as ‘complete trust or confidence in someone or something.’ There’s a story about a man called Charles Blondin who walked across Niagara Falls on a tightrope! He even did it pushing a wheelbarrow while wearing a blindfold. Crowds watched from below in absolute awe. But when he asked for a volunteer to sit in the wheelbarrow ….. there were no takers! They believed that he could do it ….. but we’re not willing to put their lives in his hands. This story illustrates the difference between ‘believing that’ and ‘believing in’. Many believe that there is a God. But trusting Him with their whole lives is a different story. 

The Bible defines faith this way:

‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ Hebrews 11:1

‘And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.’ Hebrews 11:6

I hear people say ‘I believe God can do anything but I can’t see how He can help my situation!’ As long as what you are hoping for is within God’s will ….. you can be confident. The ‘how’ is His business!

Sue’s Views 

Many years ago ….. I was asked a very profound question. The question was ‘Why do you do the things you do ….. and who do you do them for?’ It’s a question that I have revisited many times over the decades. There are days when I can answer confidently ….. ‘I live to please God and to do His will’. But then there are many days when ….. the truth is ….. I do what I want to do ….. or what others want me to do! The battle is real! We are constantly fighting against our own flesh and the devil. Jesus experienced this battle in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he died. He settled it by praying ‘Not my will but yours be done!’ He knew His Fathers will was best. I’m so glad He did! He opened the way for each of us to know God in a personal way ….. and to discover His purpose for our lives. I hate to think where I’d be today if I had my way!

Sue’s Views

It’s never easy getting them all together for a photo! After thinking I’d scored a good one ….. we realised Heze was missing! It made me think about the parable of the Lost Sheep! I only have 11 ….. but the shepherd in the story had 100! He still knew when one was missing. And he left the 99 to go and find the wanderer! That’s how precious you are to Jesus ….. our Good Shepherd. You may be lost emotionally. You may have wandered away from those who love you. You may have done something you’re ashamed of ….. and can’t face your family and loved ones. Or ….. you may have chosen to separate yourself for a ‘better life’. Wherever you are ….. God sees you and will leave the rest of the flock to come and find you ….. and bring you home! 

“‘Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:3-7

Sue’s Views

Today our eldest granddaughter becomes a teenager! She told me the other day that she can’t wait! When asked why ….. she replied ‘Because I’ll be a grown up!’ There we’re so many things I could have said about that ….. but I didn’t want to dampen her excitement. Those of us who have ….. or have had ….. or once were a teenager ….. know how volatile those years can be. The dilemma between releasing and over protecting can be like walking through a minefield. But after lots of prayer ….. communication is key! Don’t sweat the small stuff ….. pick your battles ….. and keep the door of communication open. The teenage years are a wonderful season of discovering your purpose ….. and who God made you to be.

Happy 13th Birthday Sade! We love you and look forward to the future you while enjoying the present you! Have a great day with your friends and family.

Sue’s Views

Every time I walk past this tree ….. it reminds me of marriage. Two very different people become one ….. and produce new branches! If you look carefully ….. you’ll see that the two halves at the base of the tree are very different. Their roots are different ….. their shapes are different. But as it grows taller ….. it seems to blend into one tree. It probably took years for that to happen. No doubt there were times during those years when the two trunks wanted to split! It looks like they might have lost a couple of branches and still bear the scars. But somehow they clung together and grew other branches. Maybe it was the kids that kept them together ….. but somehow they pushed through the storms of life ….. and became a testimony of true love and commitment. Most wedding vows include the words ‘till death us do part’. That’s because it can take a lifetime to truly become one! So ….. yes ….. there will be seasons of discontent ….. disappointment ….. and even regret. But a true love is developing on the inside that will see you through.

“‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 

Mark 10: 7-9

Father, today I pray for struggling and broken marriages. Please help couples to put you at the centre. Bring healing and reconciliation and give them a fresh love for one another, in Jesus Name, Amen.