I went early this morning to Barking Town centre to purchase some clothes for my holiday.   Now if you know anything about me you will know that  1. I absolutely LOATHE shopping of any kind, especially clothes shopping which certainly reflects on the way I dress!!!  and 2. other than my wedding ring I don't wear jewellery (not that I dislike jewellery it just irrates me when I am wearing it) with these two points I am forever telling my husband how fortunate he is - one day it will sink in :)

After making my purchases I made way through Vicarage Fields Shopping centre with the intention of quickly popping into Asda to buy enough groceries for the weekend.  My whole shopping expedient I had timed to last an hour and home to return to my assignments.

First of all I saw Ruth & Joan (two of my ladies from Thames View Lodge) enjoying their coffee and so stopped for a chat..

Whilst talking to them out of the corner of my eye I noticed another lady sitting by herself and I thought I recognized her from somewhere BUT where?  Ruth and Joan said the 'face' was familiar but they too were not sure from where.  So after I had chatted with them I made my way over, introduced myself and said that I recognized her - well 'yes' she knew me and said that I popped into the refectory of a certain church in town for lunch where, once, she worked.  I could sense that she wanted to off-load so I asked her permission to sit down, which she readily gave she talked whilst I listened and well over half an hour later we agreed to meet up again and this time we would both enjoy a coffee.

Well my intended hour shopping became two and half hours... As I get older I become more and more aware that there are so many hurting people 'out there' who just want someone to listen to them - not solve their problems - just listen and I was reminded of my 'theme' song which I first heard seven years ago on my 1st Sunday back in the UK having returned from Ghana - a song which I feel sums my ministry up and why I am a Salvation Army Officer..

Christ’s is the world in which we move,

Christ’s are the folk we’re summoned to love,

Christ’s is the voice which calls us to care,

And Christ is the One who calls us here.

To the lost Christ shows His face;

To the unloved He gives His embrace:

To those who cry in pain or disgrace,

Christ makes with His friends

A touching place.

Feel for the people we most avoid,

Strange or bereaved or never employed;

Feel for the women, and feel for the men

Who fear that their living is all in vain.

Feel for the parents who’ve lost their child,

Feel for the women whom men have defiled,

Feel for the baby for whom there’s no breast,

And feel for the weary who find no rest.

Feel for the lives by life confused,

Riddled with doubt, in loving abused;

Feel for the lonely heart, conscious of sin,

Which longs to be pure but fears to begin.

John L Bell & Graham Maule (Iona Community)