Thank yous

  Airports are fascinating places. Ive spent quite a lot of time in them recently as Ive travelled back and forth visiting Mum. On a recent trip I watched as the plane I was due to fly in landed, discharged its passengers and prepared for take off. There are more people than you might think involved in this process. Two guys position the steps. Someone fixes the fuel pipe into its slot. Two guys unload and load luggage. Two guys position chocks under the wheels. Someone puts a rope round the wings to stop us walking under them. And then there's one special someone whose job it is to wave little red torches in the air so the pilot knows exactly when and where to stop. 

As I was watching the well oiled Easyjet machine in action in the pouring rain it reminded me of all the unseen people in church, so necessary for the smooth running of the whole thing. Who orders the loo rolls, tidies the errant stationary cupboard, orders the tea bags for Mums and Tots?   Who does the accounts, counts the offering, sorts the website, answers the phone?  There are hundreds of jobs that go into making a church a friendly, functioning, welcoming, warm, leak-free, fed and watered place.  Stop for a minute and just think about someone in your church who has been faithfully serving in some area for years. Looking after your kids .Leading a prayer team or house group. Sorting the car park.  Doing endless rotas. Running a youth group or an  Alpha course.  Turning up early to unlock the building and set up. Sound people, lighting people, music and admin and finance people. What a blessing each one is. And at this time of year everyone is going the extra mile to put on all those Christmas events which are so much fun but so much work.

Today let's send someone a thank you or a bunch of flowers or a cheery message to let them know they are appreciated.  Our plane wouldn't fly without them!   And I know all of you reading are somewhere in that list. So.... THANK YOU SO MUCH  .