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John Anniss2 
John Anniss

Then Jesus said, 'Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear' (Mark 4:9)
 

Tuesday June 16th 2020: another ordinary day, cycling across Perivale Park with Sally to help at the Greenford Relief Centre. The Bible passage of the Parable of the Sower sprang into my mind. The Lord sometimes does this to me, gives me a verse or a passage to share with others. The experience has me wondering, then fades as life carries on.

An hour or two later, working with other volunteers at the Centre, I had a conversation with someone about being a Christian. They tell me they believe but don't really go to church, kind of hot and cold. I ask if I can pray for them to develop their faith and I tell them that Jesus wants them in His love & to commit their whole life to him.  They say yes!

Later that evening, while driving on the M3 smart motorway to Southampton, my 20 year old car stops dead, no hard shoulder, nowhere to go! This was a nightmare situation, but after an emergency call and numerous near rear end collisions, the motorway patrol service came and towed me into an emergency layby, where I spent 3 hours waiting for the RAC to come.

I watched a wonderful sunset and played "Sing my Soul" by Joe Hardy, repeating the line, "The sky displays your majesty, Lord".  Because there were no cameras or radar in the layby, the police and MPS checked up on me every 45 minutes - a God-send!  I was able to speak to those wonderful emergency service people about the Lord and prayed for them and their families. I used WhatsApp to ask those in my Connect group to pray for me and encourage me. I arrived in Southampton hours later safe and sound. The Lord's hand was over me.

The following day my daily reading - to my amazement - was The Parable of the Sower!  The Lord shared with me His seed that I had sown in those people's lives. The type of soil they were to be nurtured in was beyond my control though.  We have God-given free will and choices.
 
Prayer: Pray that your ears will be open to hear His word; to sow and nurture His seeds of love, hope, healing and everlasting life.

Prayer Request: Thank God for all those working in the emergency services and pray for strength and resilience at this time.  We particularly remember Geoff Thomas in the ambulance service.