Can’t believe how nice and warm it was today, walking through Bradford it felt amazing, to see kids playing out in the sun, and running in and out of the fountains outside City Hall. I am really looking forward to Easter as I’ve run out of holiday to take, and normally try and have odd days off or short weekends to make the commute/work-pressures bearable. I may consider reducing my hours at some point but have resisted so far as we have really good flexible working arrangements and I am able to work from home most weeks. At the moment it’s really busy as I am reviewing a few different investments the council makes, and there is pressure to reduce spending, and alot of need out there that can be met. One of the projects is about refugees, and I’ve become aware recently of how difficult it must be for people arriving in a foreign country, and trying to make this place their home, living on minimum wages or worse, and not knowing who to speak to for help. Bradford has it’s fair share of migrants, wether through kinship ties, economic migrants seeking work, or people being settled here through immigration and asylum detention centres.
We watched a programme the other day about a man working in a chicken shop, who travelled 2 hours to get to Clapham, to work from 10 at night until the place closed. I think he was a Muslim and had to deal wtih all these drunken English folk, doing chicken impressions, and all sorts of carrying on. It was quite an entertaining programme, but the guy really missed home, and looked exhausted.
I guess we take for granted the standard of living we have here, I certainly don’t feel rich, and ,pst of the time think I’m pretty hard up, because I can’t afford to do all things I used to do, and have to make choices.In a sense we all have a duty to make sensible decisions with our money and to look after our own family and those around us. We do though need to remember that it’s all God given, and that we are truly blessed.
Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 1 Tim. 6:17
inspiredinyork 