A few years ago I was working in a drug rehabilitation unit in London. It was a time of great blessing and learning, God's Spirit was working mightily and people were being saved and set free, how awesome God is when He is moving among His people, how gently He works to keep everyone working together in hearts and mind, unity among christians is essential if a work of the Holy Spirit is to be maintained.

It was a glorious early september afternoon, not a single cloud was in the sky and there had been much blessing and joy at the re-hab so I took a stroll alongside the river Thames, the sun on my shoulders was like being wrapped in a warm shawl, indeed I felt all wrapped up in love. I came to a place in my walk where overhead two dual carriage ways lay side by side spanning eight lanes of traffic and a tunnel running underneath that would be about a 1/4 of a mile long, it looked very dark and spooky, yet I was reluctant to turn back so in I went. As soon as I entered the darkness and the sun was cut off thoughts came into my mind, I knew they were not my thoughts, they were accusing thoughts, accusing that is against God, yet somehow I could not turn them off. "There you are, doing the work of the Lord, but where is God? you have such needs, why doesn't He answer your prayers? He is sat on His throne all glorious above, you are the one who is lonely, you are the one who has to put up with the sneers and insults of unbelievers as well as the mis-understandings sometimes of brothers-surely God has hung you out to dry. etc, etc" the thoughts kept coming and I felt defenceless against them, anyone who has read Pilgrims Progress will recognise that this was Christian's experience as he walked through the valley when one of the wicked ones got behind him and "whisperingly suggested many grevious blasphemies to him," but unlike Christian who could not tell that the voice was not his own mind I knew whose voice it was. Meanwhile the tunnel went on and on and had become darker and darker and with it the thoughts became more sneering and accusing, and yet still I felt no authority from the Lord that I could rebuke it. I looked behind, there was now no trace of the tunnel entrance, nor was there any trace of the exit and it was so dark now that the only way to progress was to keep contact with the tunnel wall, I became afraid. Inching along as I was it seemed an endless age until faintly up ahead I could discern the exit tunnel, and as I drew nearer I was able to go faster and faster as it became lighter until the last 50 yards I was running with might to get out once more into the bright, warm sunshine. As I came out immediately there was a disturbance among the tall grass growing against the wall, I went to investigate and lo there was the most darling blackbird just a fledgeling still, he had seemingly come to grief against the wall and was so busy preening himself and sorting out his feathers he did not notice me. Oh such a love came into my heart for him indescribable and so I reached down (foolishly) to see if I could lift him up. Of course he saw me and with a chirrup of alarm he scrambled away and into the air, away he flew and my heart longed after him. Immediately God spoke "I want to teach you" God said "I have allowed these things to happen so that I could show you, the love you felt in your heart for that bird is a type of the love that I feel for you, and just as you saw everything that surrounded the object of your love, so also I see, I see everything that comes within your experience and life, nothing can come near you that I have not allowed, but what if the heavens were opened and you were to see God stretching His hands towards you? But I will pour my thoughts upon you." This is the longest blog I have done and I hope I have not wearied you with it, I hesitated and prayed much whether or not to share it because I know people have problems about the gifts of the Spirit and whether God speaks or not. I hope it will be a blessing, certainly it was a most precious experience and lesson for me.    

Gladys Aylward the 19th century London parlour maid had but one burning ambition, to go to China as a missionary. While the other girls would take the few bob they earned and spend it in the local pubs in search of romance and possible suitors Gladys would take all the money she earned and put it towards the price of a one way rail/sea ticket to "somewhere" in China. She had been turned down by the China Inland Mission as not having the neccessary qualifications.
She had made postal contact with aging British missionary Jenny Lawson who was in need of a young assistant, Mrs Lawson told her if she could make the journey to Yengcheng in the remote Nancheng region she would be recieved. Soon after Gladys arrived Mrs Lawson took a fall and tragically died so that Gladys herself became responsible for the inn they had set up for travelling mulers.
The story of the Mandarin's first visit to Gladys when with great pomp and ceremony she was appointed foot inspector to all the surrounding villages of the province of which the Mandarin was the local potentate is told in the book "A LONDON SPARROW" by Phylis Thomson here is a brief account of her second encounter with him.
Gladys was summoned to the Mandarin's palace, when she arrived she was informed that the correct manner on meeting the Mandarin was to bow from the hip and remain bowed until formally greeted. Gladys bowed from the hip but after counting to six and not recieving the formal greeting she straightened up and politely enquired the reason for the summons, she felt sure she discerned a small flicker of a smile pass across the Mandarin's face.
Apparently a riot had broken out in the prison with men running around screaming and killing each other, the soldiers had lost control and were afraid to enter, at first she failed to see what this could have to do with her, then it dawned on her that the Mandarin was requesting that she go in and restore order and find out the cause of the disturbance. Gladys Aylward was flabbergasted, "if the soldiers with their weaponry were too frightened to intervene what do you expect from a 5ft female "foreign devil"? surely she would be killed on sight.
The Mandarin regarded her gravely and said "but how can you be killed? you have the living God dwelling inside you, you have been telling every one in all the villages and towns." GLADYS AYLWARD knew that the choice she had was to go in or else she would have to go home to the relative peace and luxury of England a failed missionary.
When she arrived at the prison compound, she was ushered in through the outer wall by the anxious prison govenor and given the key to the inner wall, she could hear the fearful screams and shrieks from within of men who had lost all control of themselves, the governor beat a hasty retreat as she stepped into the prison yard.
The scene that met her eyes was of blood and gore the dead or wounded prisoners lying all around, and in the middle of all this a prisoner with crazed eyes and a meat axe. She heard a shrill voice shouting "how dare you behave like this, it is absolutely disgraceful" the voice sounded rediculously like an english school miss berating her naughty children, she realized that the voice was her own. Gladys walked towards the prisoner with the axe carefully avoiding looking down at the blood soaked bodies on the ground "give me that axe at once, and all of you form up in line until it can be decided what is to be done with you, give me that axe!" meekly the prisoner did so, and the others formed up into a line behind him and the crisis was passed. She ordered them to appoint a spokesman "how can I understand what you are saying when you are all shouting and screaming at the same time.?"
Once a spokesman had been appointed she learned their grieviances and promised to bring them to the governor and bring reform which she did. This is how Gladys Aylward earned her name change from "foreign devil" to "virtuous one."