A vision

CORINTH. A network of Christian Faith-based organisations and churches who have a passion to work with people with HIV in the greater Mumbai area.

We met yesterday to think, pray, listen, discuss. It was good to be together. Good to meet old friends and colleagues. Good to meet some new faces. Good to think about how we can move forward. Good to listen to a good God.

In our small break-out group we were 5. Three of us knew each other from ages. The other 2 were new - a man and a woman. The woman is a volunteer with a local church. She shared her joy in meeting a lady with HIV from her church - and praying for her at home. The man did not seem to have much to say. We asked him what he was doing - and he said 'nothing.' We asked about what work he did with HIV, and he looked confused.

After a time of prayer - we asked if anyone had any pictures that came to their mind. Our group had three such pictures.

1. A sceptre - which one of the members saw and felt reminded us of God's favour on His children doing work in His name.
2. The second image was how the people built up the wall closest to their homes - during Nehemiah's time. The sister whose mind this came to talked about each one of us working faithfully at the place where were planted - and thus seeing the full wall built as a result of many small local actions.
3. The final image was of a jug of water being poured out - and many glasses being filled. It struck us how apt this way for the work of the different members of the CORINTH network - many needs being met - many thirsty lives being blessed.

The last image was shared by the man.

At the end of the programme, I was having tea with Ravindranath - a gem of a man who is part of the a church prison ministry. We were talking about the lives that were changed by visiting prisoners in jail.

Ravi mentioned that he had brought one of his friends with him who was just out of jail. A man who had come to know Jesus while behind bars - and who lived nearby the venue for the day's meeting.

It was the man who had shared about the vision of the jug of water - and the filling of the glasses.

How wonderful to be refreshed by this dear man. How God can take a life - any life - and turn it into a blessing.