Thanksgiving: Cell Meeting

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Just finished cell tonight and even though it did not turn out as well as I expected it, with little pockets of silence here and there throughout the discussion and sometimes I also do not know where I am heading in facilitating the discussion, it nonetheless went relatively well. I thank God for:

• giving me peace recently as I come to realization that I am not leading cell along but in partnership with God. At least I am no longer as uptight as in the past, when I will start being very stressed from Monday
• opening my spiritual eyes so much so I no longer read the bible as if reading a story book but instead being able to read and pick up themes, interesting points and even learning points and being all excited to share some of these insights with my cell
  
• another not-so-new visitor to the cell; someone who is a friend of a member who have since left the cell but is also a friend of the new visitor last week. Apparently, she came to visit the cell some time back and then did not return till now.
• having my Area Overseer (AO), his wife and son join our cell yesterday because I realised how God always have a way of placing certain people in cell for a purpose.
  
• Just like the time God sent the deputy pastor to visit my cell when I was leading the first time and despite it being very stressful to be leading cell in front of the deputy pastor, I later realised how God has brought him to help out with the discussion because we were discussing a topic which I found difficulty explaining clearly.
  
• Then later, God always bring my AO to cell whenever necessary e.g. when I decided in my heart to have a frank discussion with my members about the bad state of cell, he turned up to help facilitate;
  
• My AO also always seem to turn up at the right time to balance the dynamics of the cell e.g. when there is no extroverts in the cell that day
• blessing us with a guitarist, my AO's son yesterday, who did not even have to practice and can almost immediately play the songs we were singing
• my visitor seemingly feeling comfortable about this cell and for some of my introverted members rising up to chat with them and make them comfortable
• my members' participation in the discussion yesterday and sharing their experiences
• almost all at once, blessing the cell with so many members who have cars and can send my members home after cell
• the wonderful fellowship we had after cell and there was, for once, so much chit chatting going on

I also thank God for:

• watching over the family because for the first time in so many years, I forgot to switch off the iron after ironing my work clothes and I left it like that and left for work. Thank God that my sister happened to have her morning session at work cancelled and so she was home; that although she still sleeping when I went out, she woke up soon after to find the iron not switched off. Coincidence? I do not think so, too many coincidences in my life to be coincidences.
  
• my friend's safety that although he was knocked down by a lorry on Thursday, he seems OK and was discharged from A&E with just bruises and abrasion.
• friends who have agreed to join me for Easter
• a manageable workload at work
• bringing to me yet another friend to minister to when she accidentally sent a sms to me saying how burnt out she is at work. We do not know each other very well and have not met for a very long time. But over the past year, she has continued to send me encouraging bible verses which ministered to me despite her not knowing that I was struggling with my ministry. Now, it may be my turn to pay back as God opened my eyes to her needs.
• the relationship between me and my AO; I had been rather upset by him before because he sometimes can be quite a task-master but then as I come to know him more and more, I know he cares. Yesterday, he even joked with me and was making fun of me saying how come my sister never call me "kor" (elder brother) but instead call me by my full name. Then, as I made my way out to go home, he jokingly called out in an affectionate manner, "kor", we all laughed :D