Mark and I are back in the Wales...not for long. On Sunday we fly to New Zealand to be at our eldest daughter's wedding. But I had forgotten that here in Llanelli seagulls rule....well the sound waves anyway. Many is the time when I think we must have a dying cat outside our house, only to find it is a seagull. They are as noisy as the Karaoke Bar next door and unlike the bar, they do not restrict themselves to two nights a week, or to hours between 10pm and 3am. They help themselves to the content of bins and feel free to distribute what they don't want as they wish throughout the streets. Vandalism on our car is punishable, but not the mess the seagulls make. There are some pleasant things about Llanelli however...it's by the sea for one thing....but then I suppose you can't have the sea without the seagulls. Neither can you have adventurous and independent children and expect them not to plough their own fields. It will be so good to see our daughter Sophie and meet our new son-in-law, especially as I haven't seen her in the flesh for three years!! Such is our lifestyle and the lifestyle we introduced our children to. The three of our children to be born in Pakistan have all travelled extensively. Whilst I worried at the time bringing up little children in the mountains of North Pakistan, I can say honestly that they have only benefitted it. Following what we believe to be God's guidance, we have never found Him to be our debtor.
So I can't have the sea without seagulls, or a beautiful, faith-filled daughter without her not making her own decisions that maybe difficult for me. Neither can I follow Jesus without uncertainty and sacrifice. I will take the seagulls for the sea, a physically distant daughter for a faith-filled one and the uncertainty and sacrifice that I might have Jesus.
I'll post some wedding pictures!!