Changes On All Fronts And More To Come

Another front rolls in as dark clouds build - a promise of things to come!

The last month has seen lots of things happening around the traps - tanks and paddocks have had some nice drinks!  Snow on hills, ice on cars and roads, making travel risky. I also was lucky to be at the changeover services for the Broken Hill Flying Patrol and Pst David Shrimpton.  The patrol moved from Frontier Services to under the umbrella of UME and Macquarie Darling Presbytery. The work with remote stations and outback centers will continue thanks to this move. The night was such a balmy time I took a video (my first, maybe my last!) and so called on Lou, my good friend, for some of his great shots!

Changeover Service held for Pst David & Jenny Shrimpton (*)

 Changing the hanger to a worship space

I stopped at this rest area in Hermidale, on the way out to Broken Hill for Sharon Cutts' Induction Service. I stopped here to pray for the people of this lovely little village, still suffering from the sadness of the events over the past couple of weeks.  Things change overnight; sadness is also part of the travels of a Rural Chaplain.  Just like we put our rubbish into a bin, I find stopping for prayer at a rest area allows an "unloading" on God so I can move on to the next place.

Induction Service of Rev Sharon Cutts

Holy words of Blessing

A very big welcome to Sharon, to wonderful Western NSW, Land of the Living Desert.  With the rains has come a change to the land and you can see signs of where the water has run. Signs I've seen of it passing through the land includes green pick on the side of the road; large pools of water along the long paddock/stock route and in the crop; dust turning to mud; bringing life for the scrub goats and their 2-3 kids who feed along the road from Cobar to Broken Hill.

Scars left by rainwater in the waterless Stephens Creek

A close-up of the scars - like a beach but boggy!

Goats and their kids at play

Change is coming to all of us every day.  Sadly it is not all good news but not all bad - life is a combination. The rain has raised the sense of a good change, though there's still a long way before we can say life is all good. But thank God for the growth of the crops around the state, for the higher prices of cattle and sheep, and the beauty in the bush is so cool! An old bushy told me "it will take a flood to fix things but there's money in mud and misery in dust".

God of all things, may the church change and out of the dust, form and grow your kingdom.

In front of camera, not behind - thanks Lou! (*)
(* - Photos care of Lou Smalbil.)