Playing our part
Dear Friends,
How many times in life have you met someone who has unknowingly had a connection with your past experiences and as such you are led after speaking with them to reflect and to learn something new of yourself and your relationship with God? Possibly very rarely but when it happens our lives I suggest are given a boost of confidence and assurance!
In recent days I had the privilege of speaking for some time with Harry Fensom, who incidentally knows I’m writing this article, and whom some of you may know for he lives in Felixstowe and was an instrumental figure during the Second World War. Our common interest is that we both worked as telecommunication engineers for the Post Office which later became British Telecomm and later still BT. I will not try to equate my skills with those of Harry’s who had an incredible career especially when seconded to the Home office to work at Bletchley Park in developing equipment that would decipher coded enemy messages and which subsequently led to thousands of lives being saved.
I can only admire his ability but I could relate to some of his experiences when developing electronics for telephone exchanges on his return to life after the war for I discovered he designed equipment I subsequently maintained and supported during my career.
We chattered for some time about machine and application codes, interfaces and the internet (yes Harry helped to develop the prototype that is used by millions today) before Harry revealed something he obviously wanted to get off his chest. “I have learnt during my lifetime” he said “there is no such thing as luck”. He explained his work in finding the key to supposedly unbreakable codes had led him to a rock solid belief that there is always a reason to be found for everything in life and a purpose in finding answers to the most complex phenomena. I was encouraged by this statement as Harry went on to explain that his faith is centred on using his talents alongside others in helping God complete his plan for our lives and the universe.
At this time of the year we are encouraged to lift our horizons beyond ourselves to the culmination of God’s phenomenal work through his Son Jesus Christ and the incredible part we are called to play as people of faith. The principle characters of the Christmas story, those who foretold and predicted the events surrounding our Lord’s birth on earth and those who were present at the time, contributed a great deal through their faithful actions towards the plan God had set in place even though they probably had little idea of the impact it would have to their lives or on the world in the future.
As we unpack our crib sets, sing carols and send Christmas cards all reflecting God’s light coming into the world, this year let us also take the time to dwell on the part we are called to play in God’s plan. Let us count our blessings as Mary and Joseph, the angel Gabriel, the Shepherds and the Wise Men did in knowing that our contribution, however small it may seem to us, matters a great deal to God!
May God bless you and your family with His love and peace this Christmas!
David and Elizabeth