7th July, 2015
Inspired by my completion of the ‘100 happy things’ list, this year, I am going to attempt to list 100 things in which I have seen or felt God at work.
Here goes….
1. Tears of relief and hope from the ‘Prayers around the Cross’ at Taize, 2015
2. Hollyhocks at Taize:
3. This installation:
4. Sunshine through the trees:
5.The water around me, holding me, womb-like, while I am swimming.
6. Enthusiastic and downright helpful and lovely work experience students.
7. Bees of paradise, do the work of Jesus Christ, do the work no human can.
8.
A baby asleep, completely reliant on, and trusting in, her mother:
9. I was the worship leader of a church service, and people put themselves out to be there, and to help me out, and I felt wanted in the church.
10. Dogs say hello to me. It doesn’t matter what kind of person I am, to them.
11. Bodyboarding, being in the water; the power of the waves, carrying me to the shore.
12. The six year-old who kept me company in the Haven, by showing me magic tricks whilst I was right on the edge.
13. Worship with the Iona community; the laying on of hands for healing:
14. The two church friends who came to find me, late one evening, after I texted them, to say hello at Greenbelt.
15. I am no longer a lone researcher but part of a research group at work.
16. The commendation of my poetry about mental well-being by the poetry centre (here and here) and by Rethink magazine (here).
17. “God is merciful and compassionate”. As if God spoke. Comment on a FB thread.
18. The Jesuit sister who sat with me, repeatedly stating ‘God loves you’ while that truth sunk in.
19. Hugs and being heard at Chapel.
20. Being part of a hug sandwich at church.
21. Padraig O Tuauma: “Here I am”. “Yes you are”. God meets and loves us as we are, where we are.
22. The friend who told me that not a day goes by when he doesn’t think of me. That I am in his prayers.
23. Evensong at Christchurch cathedral.
24. The mentor who noticed me becoming more and more tired and stressed.
25. Birthday cake and candles with a family from church:
26. Putting up the Christmas tree with my church family.
27. “I like your new hair. It suits you”.
28. Student evaluation: “S — is an AMAZING tutor”.
29. Inclusion of a piece in the 2017 Prayer Handbook.
30. Cuddles and playing with my brother’s kitten, Nala.
31. Dancing the OXO and Stripping the Willow.
32. The email from a first year, saying “I have mental health problems…I like you and I know I can trust you”.
33. “You look great. I love your skirt.” (child from Junior church).
34. Five week residency at the Science Museum.
35. Chance to correct research grant application by funding body,after obvious error missed by all administrators.
36. “S — is extremely passionate about this area of research: it shows whenever we have a meeting. She is extremely supportive of all my decisions as long as I have a thought-out justification. S —- is a great supervisor who motivates me every step of the way. S — not only cares about me doing well with this research, but my overall wellbeing. She encourages my academic success. I wish I could just continue doing research with S — for postgrad. Thanks to S — for being so amazing!!! :-)” .
37. Reading the Psalms with friends.
38. A long hug from a friend.
39. When a student was asked to keep her face nonchalant as I described my career path to her, but she couldn’t help showing interest.
40. My first research grant for a research project.
41. Not losing it with a colleague who wanted to put a work schedule in complete disarray. Calm re-negotiation.
42. A friend who came and helped when an old colleague pushed me beyond breaking point.
43. Being taken out to pub / dinner with research mentor; his interest in me / my work.
44. Keeping calm despite technical difficulties in a departmental talk.
45. My research project-to-be made it to the BBC News Education site.
46. The people cheering me on at the bottom of the abseil tower:
47. The private messages of support sharing similar experiences when I was put into crisis by a church member’s comments.
48. The response to this message on FB:
49. People looked after me when I was very unwell at church.
50. The lambs playing out on the fields of Buckinghamshire.
51. Good Friday Meditation service at St. Lawrence church, Milton Keynes:
52. Meeting a friend for a walk in the rain.
53. Booking a place for Taize 2016.
54. The sanctuary of East church:
55. A good shepherd, chaplain, friend.
56. Soft cat fur:
57. God made the hills, the sea, the sand, the sky.
58. This reminder that Goodness and Mercy will follow me all the days of my life.
59. God leads us beside still waters and through stormy valleys.
60. “We strain to see His mercy seat, And find Him lying at our feet.”
61. The colours of sun and sky.
62. The still, quiet solitude of night.
63. “Those are beautiful words.”
64. I am a friend:
65. The friends who packed up my living room
66. The friend who met me after work when the end of my tether had been reached.
67. This email:
68. This pun:
69. Help to move from friends:
70. My T-rex illusion worked.
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71. Helpful and lovely Research Assistants at the museum.
72. A cup of tea in bed.
73. Small birds in the garden.
74. Singing Taize songs at the piano.
75. Research collaboration with #toylikeme
76. A PR conversation with Playmobil.
77. The eye-tracker worked and got data and didn’t break.
78. The teddy bears are Strooping the children
79. I can test children in French and Italian and they understand me.
80. The French children at the museum who were downright adorable and drew not one but ten imaginary children for me, each.
81. The Iranian child at the museum who bounced up and down as I hung her drawing up in our museum art gallery.
82. The hedgehog who frequents our garden.
83. The sweet peas my friend gave me.
84. The family who I talked to at the museum, who knew Taize, and said they would pray for me. All in French.
85. We have a cat.
86.
Belonging and Becoming 
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