Opinion
Words of encouragement shining through!
Regular contributor Jane Walters has been to the Lake District, and received inspiration from words partly hidden on a chapel wall.
I have recently returned from a special few days ‘up north’. The Monday to Friday was spent leading a creative writing retreat in beautiful Grange-over-Sands and it was too good an opportunity to miss to travel a little further into the Lake District. Basing ourselves in Elterwater, we took full advantage of the (unusual!) good weather – and of the cameras on our phones, which barely did the breath-taking scenery justice.
For our final day, we decided to pop up to Keswick to attend a church service before the long drive home to Norfolk. I had surrendered my life to the love of Jesus in July 1978 during the Keswick convention, not in one of the big marquee meetings but in a little Congregational chapel. Previous visits to the town in more recent years have seen me get as far as pressing my nose to the glass of its front doors, but not actually going in. It seemed important somehow that, this time, I did.
The thing I remember about the Lake Road Chapel is the line from a hymn painted on the wall: “O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness”. The hymn has always been a favourite and I suspect it’s because of this memory. You can imagine my disappointment when I saw that it had been painted over for the sake of the song lyrics now projected onto the space. Without that familiar ‘landmark’ and with the pews all replaced with comfy chairs, I had to work hard on feeling I was even in the right building.
Singing the second hymn, joy bubbled up - A combination of the projector light and the sun streaming through a window had ‘my words’ shown in relief as a kind of water-mark behind the lyrics. They weren’t gone, after all!
Sometimes, we can feel like life has completely changed. We look for anchor points, people and places that help remind us of who we are. Even when it’s a tiny detail – like a single hymn-line – nevertheless we derive comfort and security from that sense of ‘then’ and ‘now’ being connected.
In my case, recalling my conversion, I have the reminder every single day as I continue to worship and serve the God who told a girl that He loved her. But I sensed in that chapel that there was somehow a water-mark not only on the wall but over my life as a whole. His imprint is there to see, if I let it catch the light just so. I hope and pray I always will, for His glory and the benefit of others.
The photo of Loughrigg Tarn in the Lake District is courtesy of Jane Walters.
Jane Walters, formerly Clamp, is the author of Too Soon, a mother’s journey through miscarriage (SPCK) and a regular contributor to Premier Radio and UCB. She is also vice-chair of the Association of Christian Writers. Jane leads creative writing retreats and is a popular speaker locally and further afield. Visit: janewyattwalters.com
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