It was 8.30 pm. I’d just come back from evening service at church and was taking my dog Disney for a walk along the cliffs overlooking the North Sea. It had been a powerful service, with my nephew Mark speaking, who the church are considering appointing as their youth pastor.

He gave a challenge at the end for us to stop inviting God to step into our small worlds and kind of help us out a bit, but instead for us to step into the wide open spaces of God’s ‘so much more’ world and be amazed at the way our lives will move up a level.

I had responded to that challenge, and told God I was sorry for trying to squeeze him into my little world and that I wanted from now on to be in His world and for Him to use me on whatever assignment He needed someone for.

So, I’m taking my dog for a walk thinking on these things when I suddenly realise he’s gone! I’m searching everywhere,then see a woman in the distance waving – she had him. I walked over and there was Disney surrounded by five female dogs… he was in doggy heaven! They all belonged to this lady.

As we started walking back I remarked about it being a bit late for her to be out walking dogs alone; her reply stopped me in my tracks : ‘I needed to get out, because at a quarter to seven this evening my mother passed away’. She talked some more, I listened, then I asked her if I could pray for her. What a tearful appreciation followed. ‘Who are you?’ she asked wide eyed. ‘The person God sent along to tell you he is there for you’, I replied.

I’ve seen her since. It’s a sad story, but God is in on it now.

Then the next day a neighbour was in a state and asked me to help find her husband who’d gone out to buy a newspaper and hadn’t come back. We found him!

Then the next day a young woman rang me up saying she feels she wants to tell people about God’s love and has started speaking to passengers on the bus. How could she do this more effectively she asked.

It’s exciting in God’s world. And Mark is going to become the youth pastor up here!!