Leaving with a bit to reflect on

Well I’m now at the end of my time in South Africa.

It has been a great week and I think has helped me personally get some perspective on what is important.

Tonight I had two special interactions.

One was with Jayne. I was sad that Jayne was unable to be with us this week at Foundations because she is a Paralympian who will be representing South Africa next year in London and has an athletics meet this week.

Tonight though she turned up for the Graduation and afterwards she gave me a hug and looked me in the eyes and said:

“Matt you must make sure that Fusion doesn’t lose it’s vision. People will have lots of different opinions but it is the vision that gives Fusion it’s heart. You must not give up.”

She then gave me a passage of scripture she said was for me and told me that I needed to make sure I was listening to the Holy Spirit.

The passage was:

Romans 8:5-10 (NIV)
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. [6] The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; [7] the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. [8] Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. [9] You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. [10] But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

The other interaction was with Patrick. He is a special young bloke who is working full time with Fusion.

At dinner he told everyone how he identified with me and was proud to know someone like me, which was interesting to have to cope with. As I said goodby to him he said “Matt I have something for you, something I made” and he attempted to put a bracelet on my wrist. As he wrestled to put it on my wrist it broke and he looked a bit crestfallen. He remembered that he had made another one, but he was worried it looked a bit girly, he decided though that I could cope with that and put this one on my wrist successfully.

For me that bracelet represents a trust and the life of a young man who has trusted himself to the vision Jayne was talking about earlier.

This week hasn’t worked out exactly as I has hoped, we were expecting more people to do the course. As I reflect however, and as I spoke with Derek, the leader of Fusion in South Africa, it is clear that God was in it all and His plan for this week unfolded beautifully.

It’s been a special journey and I leave grateful for the opportunity to once again be with these heroes who are committed to binging the Life of Jesus to South Africa. I think I also leave with a greater sense of responsibility for our team here, which is symbolized by the bracelet.

At the last three graduation addresses I have given for Foundations courses, I have drawn on what I am starting to call the Fusion challenge…

Isaiah 54:2-4 (NIV)
“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. [3] For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities. [4] “Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.”

I know as I leave here, the Fusion challenge is my challenge… How much am I willing to Enlarge the place of my tent? How much space am I willing to make in my heart?

After being in England, Greece, Albania, Poland and now South Africa in the last four weeks, I have the sense that God is asking me to stretch my heart to include the very special people I have connected with over this time, and to be willing to prepare to stretch it even further.