What now?

As the dust cloud continues to cause chaos across Europe, many people's plans for the coming week are looking slightly different and ever more unpredictable then before. For many, I imagine, this is a frustrating time as they need to return to work, meet that friend they haven't seen for a while or just have a shower, but I'd like to think (as the dust settles!), we could see this as a moment of opportunity in our different situations.

In a world that is becoming ever more ordered and predictable, how to we cope with unexpected change?

For me personally, my week looks a lot different as a course I was due to be hosting has been postponed due to half of the attendees being stuck in Ireland. This has left me asking the question 'What now?', which I don't think is a bad thing.

I'm suddenly looking to God for what to do with this free time.

Where does He want me? Who can I be praying for? Who can I serve? Where do I go from here?

The shame is, I should really be asking these questions on a daily basis, but unfortunately I don't, as the diary fills up and my agenda takes over. This is why an enforced 'Sabbath' every so often isn't a bad thing (normally for me it's illness so this makes a nice change!).

I'm not saying God has planned this volcano to go off so that we can all learn a few lessons, but there do seem to be a few we can learn from this situation.

We are not in control, it is God who directs our steps and everyday is an opportunity for us to follow his direction, not just when we feel we need it.

So my challenge for you (whether you have been affected by the ash or not) is to ask 'What now?' of God. What does He want your week to look like? Who can you love and prefer this week? How can His Kingdom come in your situation?

Be prepared for a little adventure!

(I would love to hear of any stories that do come out of this!)