The view from the 5th floor restaurant at Waterstone's on Piccadilly is breathtaking. I used to frequent the the place when I worked in London as it served delicious little quiches, which posh people call 'tarts'.
On one occasion, a friend and I were having a coffee whilst we used the free wi-fi. The mood was serene and we could hear the gentle clink of cutlery on crockery as we typed. Just then a loud shout came from round the corner, followed by a thump. It sounded like someone had dropped a pile of books. My friend and I looked at each other and for a moment carried on as if nothing had happened. But quickly we realised that the shout had come before the thump.
Before I knew what was going on, my friend stood up and walked calmly round the corner towards the noise. As I followed, I saw him descending the large staircase to the bottom where there lay the twisted body of a man. My friend was first on the scene and I saw him kneel beside the man. Within minutes the rest of us in the building were evacuated through fire escapes. For two hours I waited on the street for my friend with his abandoned phone and laptop until he eventually emerged. He held the man's head for 2 hours, praying for him out loud, in tongues and through tears, whilst the emergency services went about their business until he breathed his last breath.
This experience is still so present with me even today. I was inspired and changed by my friend's willingness to stop everything he was doing in order to minister to someone in their time of need. He was listening, responsive and available, like Samuel in the bible. He was the hands and feet of Jesus that day. I will never forget the lessons I learned by his example of being Christ to others.
Will you be available and responsive to others? Will you make yourself God's servant? Will you say 'not my will but yours, God'? You cannot plan when God will chose to use you because you are not in control. Will you be open to the surprise? Are you willing to feel out of your depth and trust in God's provision? Are you willing to live life out of your own strength?
I believe that the universities, towns and cities of the UK would be radically transformed if followers of Christ asked God a simple question.
What can I do for you today God? I am ready, alert and awake.
