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Published: July 22nd 2005
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TIMING is everything… Haven’t we all heard that saying at one TIME or the other? So, when it comes to our TIMING around visiting London, at first glance it might seem that TIME was working against us. We prefer to think of it as the right TIME to see London from a unique viewpoint.
A SMALL NOTE HERE: We are seriously behind on our blogs! TIME waits for no man. We left the UK on July 16th. The next couple of blogs (hopefully) will come fast and furious. Maybe we'll be able to get back on TIME!
Our original plan was to arrive on July 7th , we had reservations to stay at a hotel near Hyde Park. "a" had made a birthday request for tickets to a concert happening in the park on July 8th. However news of the bombings and the request of no unnecessary travel into the city called for a change of TIMING. The concert was postponed and it was obviously not the right TIME. Of course "a" was disappointed, but she understood that it was just a small inconvenience compared to the terrible suffering that was taking place in London. That explained, you will
now better understand how TIME became such an important part of our London visit.
It began with our drive straight into the center of London…yes we were warned by many wise Europeans not to do it! There were lots of reasons we decided to ignore the good advice. Not knowing where to leave our rental car and the public transportation being effected by the bombings just to name a couple. So "A", being of strong courage and always loving a driving challenge, went for it. Remember we rented our car in Zurich which means we had a left-hand steering car and were driving on the left. WEIRD! We did have one thing going for us. TIMING…. we arrived at the outskirts of town very late in the evening. The traffic wasn’t so bad and that was definitely to our advantage. So with all this going for us it only took us 3 hours driving around the city center to find our apartment! We hate to think how long it might have taken if it wasn’t 2:30 in the morning. Bottom line we made it.
TIME worked against us the following day when we were trying to get to
a West End theater to see a show. Since "a" wasn’t able to see the concert she was so looking forward to we booked tickets to the next best thing, “We will Rock You”. The musical was written around some of Queen’s greatest hits. Talk about a 80’s flashback. We thought the best way to get there would be by taxi…sounds so simple doesn’t it? NOT! We couldn’t get a taxi due to the TIME of day and the large amount of people using taxis because of the tube closings in some areas. To make a long story short we ended up taking a bus and a long walk and still got to the theater 20 minutes late. Luckily we were able to get in and we only missed the first 20 minutes of the show. We were really glad we took the extra effort, the show was great. We are the champions, my friends!
A definite highlight of our TIME in London was getting to see our dear friends, Rob and Janine. We first met in Hong Kong where Rob was the pastor of our church. Seeing them was just like old TIMES again. They haven’t changed one
bit, TIME has been good to them. They both look great and are busy as ever with their amazing ministry in London. They really have two ministries, one traditional Anglican church and a second unique ministry to London’s artist community. The two parishes are St. Simon (traditional) and St.Saviors that is tucked behind the famous Harrods store. St. Saviors has been refurbished to become a Holy Space for artist to come for prayer, reflection or share their arts with others. Rob and Janine are so perfectly fitted to such an artistic ministry. You might say they are at the right place at the right TIME.
Lastly, TIMING helped us see London from a different perspective. We stood amazed as thousands walked outside to stand shoulder to shoulder in a moment of silence. We do mean silence…everything stopped on the streets and you could have heard a pin drop. TIME stood still! After seeing such a touching scene we have a new respect for Londoners strength, courage and determination. It was the right TIME to see London.
(We're aware of the new series of bombing attempts. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the people of London.)
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Val
non-member comment
Heart felt thanks.
Thank you, Rob and Janine, for praying for my need in your time of need. My heart goes out to all the people of London. Stay strong and trust in God, He will help you see hard times through. May God bless you and watch over you. Love in Christ, Val (I hope you get a chance to read this.) Hey Bonds, looking forward to seeing you soon. Stay safe and remember sometimes you should listen to the locals, you know about traffic. But then again it would not be your trip if you didn't do things your way. Love you all very much! Val