Across generations, across the years, across the world

Very deliberately I made connections across generations yesterday - and I don't know whether any of those who contacted me is doing #40acts but that led to helpful conversations as well - even learning something into the process.

I sent FB messages to a couple of second cousins who were part of my life thirty years ago but really we haven't seen each other for at least the last twenty - I learned from one that they have children (didn't know that!) and the other will contact me today I reckon.

I discovered that one of the 'ever present' kids from our first church - you know the sort of child I mean: if the doors are open they are there - was driving through Scotland - we're going to try and meet up in the next couple of days.

And then there's the young media staff member based in our London office who, in spite of just asking when a meeting was, enabled me to develop a different approach to using our social media for ministry!

None of this is really mentoring and, honestly, I didn't have deep and meaningful conversations that were peppered with weighty silences and consideration was given wisdom and insight shared. It was, however, good to connect and reconnect. Undoubtedly there are more conversations and shared life to come.

It also caused me to think about a boy I met in Paraguay last year who, along with the other children at the centre where he attended because his home life was so difficult, held the record for learning the most memory verses. In excess of fifty verses had been committed to a mind that had witnessed the depths of poverty and despair. He had done what the Bible says to do and 'filled his mind with whatever is pure, noble, upright... Etc'. As today is about sharing scripture and yesterday was about crossing generations the thought of that youngster comes fresh as an example of someone I should have learned from...