I had a great little phone call from my friend Tony today.

Tony is one of those people you can rely on, he is always there and likes to ring with a little challenge, a question or encouragement. Today he rang to encourage me.

He had been praying and thought I was very much like a Jacob. He knows I have been struggling and questioning SEITE and asking why, is this right, and so on – and the comments today have both challenged and encouraged me.

I don’t think I am in the same league as Jacob. If Jacob is in the Premier Division, then I am in the Ryman South division and doing it part time for a laugh! I can, though, gain encouragement from Tony’s words. I am probably called to wrestle. If, as we believe, we are called into pioneering work as our past ministries bear out, then wrestle is going to be the middle name:

wrestle with the establishment
wrestle with those who do not understand
wrestle with the pain of ministry
wrestle with ‘what does this God mean here’

I guess I need to get used to the idea …. glad I went to the gym this morning!