Why is it that it seems that the minute I make a decision to do something good or to be a better person in some way, I seem to do the opposite? Can anyone else relate to this?

A week ago we were at New Wine for the first time.  It’s a Christian festival, or maybe it’s more of a massive revival tent meeting or it could be just an opportunity for hundreds of kids to whizz round a campsite on bikes – gloriously unsupervised.  In any case, it was good.

I think what I liked best was spending a short time with people who actually believe that they are God’s equipment.   They are God’s way to make their communities better, they are the people God will use to speak words of love to people who are hurting, they are the healers, the listeners, the movers and the dreamers.  They aren’t waiting for someone else to do it.  And they have the hope to believe it is possible.

Some pretty incredible stories were told but what struck me the most were the things I saw with my own eyes.  I watched an elderly woman completely prostrate herself on the floor in worship.  I walked past the crèche and saw someone walking around praying blessings on all the babies and their parents.  When I told Michael (9) that my foot was hurting he offered to pray for it.  When I told him the next day that I thought it was a bit better, he said, with glee ‘ I must have the Holy Spirit!’

Inspired though I was, back home after a (good) week with (lovely) visitors, I don’t feel like I’m much further along.  After winning his second gold medal, Mo Farah said it was ‘just hard work and grafting’.  But he also mentioned the cheering crowds and the support of coaches, family and friends.

I want my life to be an Olympic Stadium of positive support to the people I meet, but I think I’ll need a few cheering crowds to get there myself.