So, what did you think of my...?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I have no issue with that.

That is, however, until their opinion is on something I've done, or said, or written. I am of course talking about criticism. It's something that has cropped up several times in recent weeks.

I'm one of those people who likes criticism... kind of. [Please don't take this as an open invitation to flood my inbox with comments destroying my character or suggestions of things you think I could do better!]

I was chatting to a friend, who agrees with my logic, that criticism can be a great way of improving yourself. But it's a very vulnerable place to be. To put yourself out in the firing line is scary. To open yourself up to someone to potentially tear your hard work to shreds takes courage and trust in the critic.

It guess it's that trust element that is crucial for a criticism to be positive and not a character assassination. If you are sure that the critic is genuinely looking out for your best interests you are more likely to take their criticism well. If there is doubt, the criticism could be taken more as a personal attack rather than a judgement of your work.

Having said that, hearing negative feedback, however well-meaning or even accurate it may be, tends to leave be on the backfoot. I get defensive. I start trying to justify my actions in light of this new found opposition. Especially if it's something I'm particularly passionate about. "Perhaps you could have done such-and-such better" or "maybe approaching this-or-that aspect in a different way next time" leads me to thinking "do you realise just how much work I've put into this?!" or "But that's me, that's my style! Are you asking me to fundementally change who I am?!".

But on reflection, when the heat of the moment has cooled, I revisit those comments, and yes they still sting from time to time, but there is truth and wisdom and advice hidden behind those critiques. And often there is wisdom is taken that advice on board.

I don't know the answer to every question. I am not the best preacher, author, songwriter, musician, worship leader, youth worker, friend even. I would do well to take criticism on board. I recognise that the more I take people's advice, the better the version of me I become. I don't take on every characteristic people may demand of me, that's just silly, no-one can be everything everyone wants them to be. But my character, my personality, my skills and talents and gifts can be sharpened, refined, perfected, generally made better by learning from others obversations on what I do well and what, quite frankly, I completely mess up!

"Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice."

New Home

I’ve moved.

As I type this I’m sat at my desk in my new room. Looking out of the window I can see for miles over South London. Church spires poke up from carpet of thousands of houses and several blocks of flats are a rigid contrast to the rolling hills on which they stand.

The sun is setting, sparkling as it reflects off the windows across town and casting its golden glow all around, the clear sky gradually fading from a bright blue, through a rusty orange into a musky pink.

Even in the very early stages of this new chapter it feels like ‘right place at the right time’. I’m definitely looking forward to the challenges of the next few months. God certainly hasn’t let me down on this one, and I’ve no reason to think He is going to in the coming season.

“Grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace shall lead me home”

Forwards or Backwards?

Ah, the good old days.

Those times gone by where things were better than they are today. The former days where life was simpler, where problems seemed to be non-existent or easily solved. A time of bliss and happiness and hysterical anecdotes outnumber the stars in the sky.

This is the power of selective memory. This is the wonder of Rose-Tinted Glasses.

The truth is, that life back in the old days was actually no different to life in the current days. Forgive me for sounding like a grumpy old man before my time, but I've been recently woken up to this reality. That actually looking back is not as helpful as we may believe.

I've been through a pretty rocky patch in my life lately. The last few weeks and months have been particularly challenging for a number of reasons..

All throughout that time, echoes of my time in Geneva were calling me. They reminded me of all the people I had been close to and the good times we had. Stories of fun times and uplifting occasions came flooding back to my mind. And so I made arrangements and visited Geneva earlier this month. I needed a break, I wanted to go back and re-experience all those great times.

What I experienced however was something quite different.

Have you ever tried to put on a pair of old shoes?

Or wear a coat from when you were younger?

Have you ever tried to wear somebody elses shoes?

Or fit into something custom made for somebody other than you?

They Just Don't Fit.

My return to Geneva felt similar. Please don't get me wrong! I enjoyed my time there and it was fantastic to catch up with friends I haven't seen for far too long and be encouraged by how much they've grown and moved on. But that's just the point; they had moved on. I had moved on. We all had moved on from where we were last summer when I left. And now their present is part of my past.

The work I did is now being built upon by a new team [and a great team at that, and I honestly pray that the work they do far outweighs anything I ever did! Dare I say double-portion?!].

God spoke to me loud and clear during my time back in Geneva. The door is closed. I need to stop looking back through rose-tinted glasses and keep moving forward. Yes, remember the friends I have there. Yes, remember the lessons I learnt there. But don't long for something that is long gone. "Forgetting what lies behind, press on".

I'm now moving to London. It's a time of uncertainty and there are concerns I have, sure. But looking back is not going to help me get past the new challenges. But focusing on God will. He has never let me down before and I have no reason to believe He's going to start now.