FROM STORIES
STORY 1: How this website evolved.
STUCK, STUCK, STUCK!!!
Sitting in the tiny, beautiful beach chapel of Kappella Sant' Anna, on Gozo island (off Malta).
“Lord I am stuck, stuck, stuck! Why is this not working???!!!”
A CLEAR ANSWER CAME IMMEDIATELY:
“Just tell your story – and it’s not about you”.
WOW... – BUT WHAT DID IT MEAN???
Firstly, I was let off the hook – it was not about me. That was a relief!
And then it slowly it began to dawn on me. It must - by definition - be about Him! A lifetime of work – where HE had been at work…
THEN I MET A FELLOW HIKER…
During conversation as we walked, I shared the verse that had transformed my understanding of “work” some years back:
“You Lord will keep in perfect peace, those who keep their purpose firm”. Isaiah 26:3
My “work” had subsequently taken on a new meaning.
I began to see it as my purpose, mission, worship… and it then started to deliver huge fulfilment to me.
A driving passion that made work – despite all the usual hassles, annoyances, problems and challenges – a joy – every day!
The next day, (I had not mentioned my “stuckness” and the Kappella experience), my new walking friend announced…
“And I have a verse for you!”
“It for God’s good pleasure, that He ENERGISES us, giving us both the POWER and the WILL to act” Philippians 2:13.
THE BREAKTHROUGH
I suddenly realised I could do it - not through MY energy and will - but through HIS.
Returning home in May 2023, I sat down, opened the website - and started to “tell the story”.
Everything flowed.
The concept of the website was no longer a reproduction of the original book. Instead, it evolved into the structured wisdom of many people, told through real life stories.
The mission became to help readers to see their work, their careers, as mission, purpose and the source of their ultimate validation and purpose for their lives.
STORY 5: CHANGING DIRECTION
The scenario was an overseas posting with a world leading company. A massive career opportunity that few people were lucky enough to get so early in their time with the company.
The phone rang ...
“We're not coming back."
The next week was turmoil, trying to work out how on earth to balance the needs of a young family over two thousand miles away and a job. There seemed only one place to go to try to find an answer to the awful dilemma.
The Cristo Rei monument stands 108 meters high on a hill overlooking Lisbon.
On that Saturday morning, gazing up at the figure of Christ towering above, the heartfelt cry was simple:
"Help! - what on earth should I do?"
The answer came as a most beautiful feeling of peace that flowed like a wave through head, neck, shoulders, tummy and all the way to feet and toes.
'You will have to be in charge of my career from now on if I do this (leave an amazing job earning very good money with a top global company)'
But one more confirmation was desperately needed - so finding a Bible and opening it pleading inside for some sort of help - the first words that came into focus were...
"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or COUNTRIES, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first". Mathew 19 29-30
What happened a few days later was another amazing coincidence - an old mate who had emigrated to Australia five years earlier called...
'Hey, mate, long time! I'm in Portugal - can I come and see you?'
What are the chances of that? At the darkest of times a rock solid army buddy arrived on the scene. They had jumped out of planes together - so he really was a solid mate!
The decision was made - the life changing decision was made...
Returning to the UK, “work” became self-employment in a new career as a "Business Consultant". A desk in a small, rented office, on a nearby trading estate: one phone, one computer and no clients...
By coincidence, hanging on the wall of the office was a poem “Don’t quit”.
The last verse spoke powerful words of encouragement that were incredibly needed at that time.
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And when you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem worst, you must not quit.
Over the coming years a new career in business consultancy led to teaching on MBA programmes, a property business, senior executive recruitment followed by senior roles in the charity sector.
Looking back, it was all about holding on to the sense of not being alone during the many tough trials along the way. That decision to step out in faith, hope and fear was never once regretted.
STORY 6: FAITH AND ACTION
This is another story about having a deep conviction that you should do something - and then doing it.
"For 18 months you've been telling me you feel you need to move to this city, now either do it - or don't it - but please stop coming and telling me about it!"
The Midlands held no logic whatsoever. But the persistent deep prompting would leave no peace. Back at home after the vicar's stinging words was the heartfelt prayer was now simple:
“What to do??!!”
Reaching for the Bible again, opened at random, and these life changing words came into focus:
"What good is it, if someone says they have faith, but does not actually do anything about it? …faith without action, is utterly useless!” James 2: 14-17.
This was surely more than a coincidence? Or was it a direct and specific answer to that prayer?
There was now no question - it was time to act!
I arrived on a freezing cold, snow-covered that day in January - a little money saved - and no idea what was going to happen next. A rented room in a shared house.
Over the next ten years, this city proved to be a place of significant personal transformation and many great work-related blessings.
The single most impactful experience was to receive a handwritten “thank you” note for helping on a church event. It started with these words:
“You, Lord, will give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever; he will always protect you and keep you”. Isaiah 26:3-4
This seemed an incredibly important statement, which started a personal transformation process.
The logic was compelling: if we believe in a creator God and are told we are made in the same image, then we are, by definition, creative beings (regardless of how “creative” we think we are).
This means we can bring new and important things to life. Our work is therefore important - whatever it is. Whatever we do, great or small, really matters.
Work then becomes mission, and the way to use passions, gifts, and talents for something bigger than just "self".
As Ken Costa in his book "God at Work" says: "My work station becomes my worship station".
STORY 7: GOD CAN SPEAK TO YOU THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE
It was a start-up business renting properties to students at the city university.
The task was to stuff flyers through student house letter boxes to encourage them to choose the new houses to spend their next year enjoying. There were only weeks left before they all disappeared for the summer. It was a nervous time. No student tenants, no business!
"My daughter was helping me and obviously noticed my nerves. She then said the most amazing thing that I felt was wisdom beyond her years:
"Dad, if you can see it in your mind - and believe it in your heart - then you can do it!".
I snapped out of my worries with deep gratitude for these kind words.
We filled all the houses in the coming weeks.
On another occasion...
"Sometime later, I shared with my email prayer partners that I was feeling there was more that I could be doing with my life than mending broken toilets and the countless other maintenance jobs I was doing each day to serve my students as their landlord.
Don't get me wrong - the business was going really well, but I was allowing my mind to wander too far into the future as I stared down the toilet pan!
We normally didn't reply to each other's emails but just supported each in prayer. But not this time. My admirable friend Rich, simply pinged:
"Just keep fixing the toilets buddy!"
Once again, I was jolted out of my negativity and felt these words were a simple reminder from the Lord to "Do the best you can, with what you have, where you are right now! And leave the future up to me!".
STORY 8: PRAYER CAN GIVE YOU "SPIRITUAL ARMOUR"
This story is about attending a church where at the end of each service you could receive prayer for anything you needed help with in your life. This is the story:
"One Sunday at a large charismatic church, I went for healing prayer about a problem with my eye.
The man praying for me said that he had a clear sense not to pray for my eye - but to pray that I receive spiritual sight to be able to see the arrows being fired at my back. ('What arrows?!" I thought). It was a very powerful experience.
The next day – Monday morning - the Chief Executive called me into his office.
'Sorry but we are going to have to make you redundant'.
Me? The highest fee earner in the business? What do you mean?
Although I was a Director, I was not a shareholder, as the other two directors were. The company was about to be taken over and I thought later that maybe I was a threat to them. That's sometimes the tough side of being in senior management. Politics, back stabbing. Just read the papers!
Without that enormously powerful time of prayer the day before, I would have been in total shock. Instead, it felt like I was wearing some kind of "spiritual armour" which gave me a profound sense of peace and strength.
After a few weeks of tough negotiations, we reached an agreement that allowed me to leave with a fair package.
Although I went to that church many times afterwards - I never again saw the tall, rugged and powerfully built man who prayed for me. To this day, I still wonder 'Who was he?'"
STORY 9: HOLD ONTO YOUR INTEGRITY
This is another story about the nasty side of business life where things might look sweet and lovely on the outside, but all sorts of unpleasant stuff is going on that is not obvious to the untrained eye. But despite all this - you can stand firm - and victory is possible, despite the odds stacked up against you.
"The charity was very political and hierarchical. The culture had many great aspects and some not so good such as cliques and indiscrete gossip. People sometimes left the organisation in unhappy circumstances.
Standing up to these kinds of behaviours can be dangerous. It is safer to join in. I was reminded of Dr Richard Higginson's book "Called to account" where he explored the challenges of standing up for your values in business life.
The bottom line is - if you do, then life may not be enjoyable. I found this out when I confronted these behaviours - and serious stuff started heading my way!
I told my friend about it over a beer. When I had finished, he looked at me and simply said ‘Just hold onto your integrity’.
I knew him well, and this was the most profound thing he had ever said to me!
I went home and opened my Bible, hoping to find some encouragement! I was in a bad way. To my total amazement, the first place my eyes came into focus were on the verse:
'In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever'. Psalm 41: 12
This sent an immediate shock wave of power through me - I knew I was not alone in this impending battle. This verse carried me through the next extremely difficult weeks".
STORY 10: DO THE BEST YOU CAN, WHERE YOU ARE, WITH WHAT YOU'VE GOT
This is a story about finding genuine joy in your work. An experience you can get every single day - regardless of problems and hassles - it really is possible to experience...
"The consultancy job was to manage an important aspect of a complex buildings project. It involved moving 300+ staff around a four-story building while it was being taken apart all around them. Great fun for me if not for them!
Ten months later the project was successfully completed, but what next?
"What next" was a burning desire to continue to work for this superb organisation (£80 million+ annual income operating around the world doing fantastic work helping people lift themselves out of poverty).
A wonderful three years followed, supporting the visionary CEO and Strategy Director to create a new global business planning and performance monitoring process.
When the project was complete, my parting chat with the CEO included his words ‘we are now light-years ahead of where we were three years ago…’.
This was a wonderful blessing and reward. Throughout the three years, I had experienced joy and peace from the daily feeling that my work - and my sense of purpose in the organisation - were in harmony.
I was doing the best I could, with what I had, and enjoying every moment of it.
I was applying all the transferrable skills I had learned throughout my working life.
It was the daily outworking of that transformational verse from long ago:
“You, Lord, will give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm..."
FROM "ABOUT YOU"
IN A NUTSHELL...An HR specialist with a personal mission to help staff develop, grow and flourish in their work, summarises as follows:
https://www.londonmetsu.org.uk/about/workwithus/advice/
Good CV etc advice
https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo
A year or so later this strange journey continued...
Hitch-hiking to the South of France some Belgian holiday makers in a VW camper van gave him a lift.
"Would you like a sandwich?"
"Thanks - what is it?"
"Horse"
"Yikes!" Ihe thought - but then "What the heck!" - and it was the best sandwich ever!
"We can leave you here at the junction or you can come with us?"
It was getting late in the day, so it made sense to continue with them to somewhere safe to spend the night.
The destiny was Taizé the famous Christian retreat deep in the French countryside. Full of young people enjoying time together, worship, prayer and peace in the beautiful countryside.
His travelling ended right there. The next week spent in an amazing atmosphere of generosity and calm.
What a coincidence for a young person beginning to explore “faith”!
University then came and the final year was really hard.
The daily walk to and from college went past a life-sized figure of Christ, hanging from a cross outside a church.
Twice a day the same silent prayer was “Help!” (the degree was getting harder and harder!)
Every day, the confirmation was the same: "You're going to get this”.
Was he just talking to himself?
And so, by nothing short of a miracle, a good degree was gained (which was truly incredible, given he had failed his second year and had to re-sit it while working on building sites in Germany).
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