It's odd how we come across things in life. All around there are events taking place and we exist outside them and regularly fail to notice them. That was how it was with STOMP. Having not been a member of St. Thomas' Church all that long, I had only just started to think about getting more involved. Being a relatively new Christian, I was still adjusting to the new life I had chosen. And so, with all my adjusting and getting used to, I never thought about how I could get more involved. When I thought about the church and what I could do within it, I kept getting pictures of preaching on street corners. This was not something that I felt I was ever going to do. The looks that adults give when they hear such words of truth are those of credulous disbelief; they look around and see several hundred people live their lives quite happily, and here is one person claiming that we are all doomed. With that option clearly not for me, I was left wondering what to do. And, when wondering what to do, why not ask God? So I did.It was a couple of weeks later that I saw a notice asking for minibus drivers. SOMETHING I CAN DO Now this, I thought, is something that I can do. I love driving and, as odd as it sounds, I find driving a minibus is actually quite fun. I needed no further encouragement. I asked for something that would allow me to be more involved with church and here it was. A few telephone calls took place and all was set.It's at this point that the testimony starts to get interesting. You see, while I have a passion for driving, me and children seem to exist in completely different dimensions. This is not to say that I have any dislike for kids; just that, for all that I may act like a kid sometimes, I can't seem to get on with them. But, this was not a problem as I was just driving the minibus.
 | | Richard Green |
A BIGGER PICTURE Unfortunately, as with most things in life, everything is part of a bigger picture; a journey that often sets off without revealing its final destination. So, while I may have thought that I was only going to drive a minibus, God had bigger plans. I guess if He'd told me this in the first place I may have washed my hands of the entire thing. But God knows what's in our hearts and minds and knows when our heart, and thus our love, can be clouded by our short-sighted minds. So he hid the big picture, always knowing that in the end my heart would find a place that my mind couldn't talk me out of. And this is how I found that place. It all started with an embarrassing conversation on the way back from STOMP one evening. I had been driving for a couple of weeks and had kept a low profile. A QUICK PRAYER This particular week, I did nothing different other than allow two of the kids to sit in the front of the bus on the journey back to Firth Park. Although I cannot remember the exact details, the conversation was about Jesus and why I believed in him. I fumbled around with a few words, but just couldn't get a answer together that I thought that the kids would understand. In the back of my mind, I'm saying a quick prayer (as I guess many do when put on the spot) and can't see any return from it. So, I reply with, "It's a little complicated." Or something to that nature. The child looks up at me and simply says, is it because you love him and he died for us. My prayer had been answered. And not by some deep theological excuse, dredged up from my over complex thought process, but by the simplest statement from a young child. To this day, I doubt if the child ever realises that she was the perfect messenger of God at that moment. But for me, I realised that when God asks us to be child-like, He means it. And so, over the following weeks I spent more time just watching the way the kids enjoyed themselves and how they looked up to the leaders. HOW I CONNECT WITH GOD We join in with the worship and visit them at their homes. And again, I thought to myself about how I connect with God. He's my leader, and provides for me and helps me. When I worship, I can feel the Holy Spirit join with me and raise my voice. And when I go home and pray, He pops round for a chat. Just as God has made His promise to me and I trust Him in it, the kids look to us and trust us. We are examples of God's love for these children. And yet, they are examples of God's love to us. From setting out as minibus driver, my journey has taken me to a place where my heart has been called. I have learnt to see the wonders of the Lord's kingdom through a fresh perspective; one which I thought I had lost many years ago. With this perspective, I am able to better see the path that the Lord has laid before me. A path that has led me back home to Firth Park, where I now see the children passing on the love that Jesus has shown them through STOMP and where I can finally show my love to the Lord by helping them. | 
