Reflections on New Word Alive

77 days to New Word Alive 2010, I wrote that:

During my national service from Jan 05 to Nov 06, I spent most of my time hoping that I could disrupt from national service and come to York in Oct 05, or at least Oct 06. But looking back, Oct 07 was exactly the right time for me to come to York.

Now I see that had I come to York earlier, I would not have had the opportunity to go for New Word Alive for all 3 years of my time in the UK (Word Alive only split off from Spring Harvest to form New Word Alive in 2008). Of course, New Word Alive is just one of many reasons as to why Oct 07 was exactly the right time for me to come to York.

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." - Acts 17:26-27 (NIV)

Going mysteriously forward, I trust that Jul 10 will be exactly the right time for me to return to Singapore.

The best is yet to be!

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Epilogue

Now that New Word Alive 2010 - my third (and in all likelihood last ever) New Word Alive - has come and gone, I can say that I've been greatly blessed by New Word Alive over the past 3 years. The teaching has been excellent and the fellowship has been equally amazing, both with friends living in the same caravan and friends I've made/run into throughout the conference.

As I graduate from York and return to Singapore for good this Jul, I will miss many things about the UK, not least New Word Alive. It's tempting to wish that I could stay on for another year, but I trust that God - who brought me to York at just the right time - will bring me back to Singapore at just the right time as well.

Back to school next week, back to Singapore on 29 Jul and back to work with the Singapore Prison Service thereafter. As the tagline for New Word Alive goes - Serving the Church, Reaching the World.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:33-34 (NIV)

Link: The Providence of God (26 Jan 10)