D.L.

Today is the 13th of July, and it is Sunday, and all these people are already here for some good, rejuvenated coffee! La casa is a box of surprises!

What a week it has been – a trip to the local hospital, a quick visit to our Ballynahinch, and now all my kids are staying this weekend in the manse, which is great!!

Have you seen the Tennis? I am fascinated by Tennis, a sport I used to play and should get back to. But what is more revealing is the post-match interview, and I am always intrigued by the responses of the players who won, but more by those who didn’t

Yesterday, Iga was crowned champion, and her opponent suffered one of the worst defeats that Wimbledon has seen. My heart goes out to her. Yet, it was her match against the world’s number one player (Semi-Finals) that was match that caught my attention, where she won by playing a high level of Tennis that Sabalenka couldn’t match. These young people in their twenties are handling a lot of pressure!

Sabalenka post-march interview was one of the best I have seen, before she sat on the chair she was already saying that “”You’re not going to see the Roland-Garros press conference, so anyone who was waiting for that can leave right now!” and then during the press conference she added “I don’t want to experience that hate again” – Wow!
I don’t want to take her out of her context, but those words spoke to me and challenged me.
First, it’s a change of attitude, and second, being aware of the power of hate!

So, what? Most of us are not tennis players, and millions of people are not watching us, but we are all human, and we all experience intense emotions, and few can master them. The Word of God calls that self-control, and it is a fruit of the Spirit.

That press conference was more than just a typical event; it was a powerful reminder that hatred is not something to be proud of, but rather something we need to be aware of and learn from, as it also serves as a lesson in self-control.

This morning in Church, I am speaking about the Kingdom of God and the People of God. We are God’s people, but that does not mean to live as we like and do whatever we think is right, just because we are God’s people. There is a holy calling in us, a calling to be different and to show that there is an alternative to how we do life and treat others and ourselves.

We’re all under pressure, feeling under the weather, even though the weather this Sunday is fantastic, and more people are coming to get coffee! – We all feel the pressure and that is because we are God’s people, this is why as 1 Peter said “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 . Pt 2.10 – Wow, that is an ace right there from Peter, who penned those words! Right on the T!

What if today we confess and ask the Holy Spirit to show us where we can change, allowing Him to transform us into more of is image?

May you have a sunny Sunday full of the fruit of the Spirit.

I love tennis, I need to get back to it!