Just like Moses

“Who am I that I should go to Pharoah, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11 

What does setting up Elderberries have in common with leading the Israelites out of Egypt? Hear me out- it may seem far- fetched but there is a similarity! 

All throughout the Bible, God uses people who, on the surface appear unlikely candidates and may seem rather unwilling to do his work. They are far from perfect. Think of Moses, Jonah, David and Paul, all who have serious character flaws! They don’t want to do the work that God gives them. Moses doesn’t want to lead the people out of Egypt. Jonah doesn’t want to go to Ninevah, Paul doesn’t want to love Christians and David definitely doesn’t want to notice that Bathsheba already has a husband! However, God is able to use all of them for His good!   

Like Moses, I felt unsure why God wanted me to run Elderberries, and like Moses it was easy to make excuses. I’m not much of a public speaker, I don’t have the skills or the time. It’s easy to think of reasons not to do something. However, if you decide to say yes, something amazing happens. God will lovingly and patiently walk with you and help you realise that you are exactly the right person and that He has chosen you for a reason. It is in carrying out God’s wishes that He is able to iron out our imperfections and helps us to achieve our greatest potential, and at the same time implementing what He wants for the world. It is a beautiful picture. 

Elderberries was never something I planned to do but was something I was asked to do and it evolved into something I wanted to do.

I think in these situations, God uses people who are not obvious leaders but those who are willing to trust in God’s process and are willing to learn. I believe it’s called having a “growth mindset”. He told me that either the skills I needed were already there, or that it was part of the journey to learn new ones. It was a sincere feeling that God was leading me by faith into the unknown but that it would be OK if I just took his hand and followed him. He honoured this by gently leading me to the right people, finding the right volunteers, getting funding through grants and in the early months, giving me superhuman amounts of energy to do the job without feeling too tired. 

 Through seeing all these amazing connections and coincidences, He cemented in me the idea that this was his divine purpose at work, and not anything I had thought up. God had made me for this moment, and He knew I had the skills, knowledge and character to lead and that my lack of confidence in leadership (like Moses) was exactly why he wanted me to do it.  God knows what we are capable of, even if we can’t see it yet. 

Through setting up Elderberries there has been an incredible sense of how God sees me, and it is inspiring. He is constantly refining us and changing us to be more like Him, and there is a growth of confidence and maturity through the process. It is now easier to see myself through Jesus’ eyes, as God sees only our incredible capacity for greatness, which is a reflection of Himself 

Elderberries has also brought about a tangible sense of creativity and excitement in setting up something new out of nothing. The whole concept of having an idea and taking it from something in our heads to something concrete and a reality is so intriguing.  When running my creative business I would have an idea for a design. Then a picture would be drawn of how it should look and then materials would be bought to make the product. Then it would be made up and you could see the idea move from an idea into the realms of reality. This concept is really about having faith in the unseen. But with Elderberries, God has also created something out of nothing.  In the Bible, it says that God “calls into existence the things that do not exist “- Romans 4: V 16-17.

Elderberries have given us all this feeling of creativity, with the birth of an idea into reality.  Through God’s vision, He helped us to visualise how the group would look, how it would encompass the ethos of kindness and compassion, how people would be seen as active participants, and not as mere bystanders.  Volunteers and participants alike are actively encouraged to pursue their own talents and gifts to add real benefit to the group by running sessions and organising outings. Everyone is valued in the group, and there are so many talented people. They just need to be celebrated and appreciated. We wanted them to really FEEL God’s love for them in the group, and it seems like this has been achieved.  We and God have worked together to create His beautiful vision

The volunteers in the group have been so important to the ethos of love and compassion and I believe God has hand-picked them for their loving kindness and their unique qualities. Each one gives something different to the group and  we are so grateful for them and can’t wait to start meeting together again. All our volunteers have supported our old people through the Covid -19 crisis and have been a lifeline for so many.    

So let’s explore the idea of creating something new! If anyone else is thinking about setting up a new ministry, then go for it! Let us all be expectant of new creations as “with God, nothing shall be impossible” -Luke 1:37. God wants more than anything to be known to us and will create opportunities for people to come to know him. He wants everyone to have a loving relationship with Him, and when no one else cares, He will. Through Elderberries we know our older people feel this love and care and know that this group is different because God is in the middle of it. 

So be heartened. God will guide you and show you the way. As we can see, at this present moment in history there are many changes and upheaval and the world is crying out for what you have to offer.  Reach into the unknown, listening to His voice and know that He will be by your side. Only you can do it.