Have you ever experienced a happy accident? These are the
instances we sometimes encounter in our lives when something
good happens unintentionally. Incidentally did you know that
Bassets liquorice allsorts were the result of a happy accident? Apparently, the
different multi-coloured sweets we know today were originally intended to be
sold individually but one day a tray of sweets got accidently dropped on the floor
and they got mixed up together and the rest, as they say, is history. Perhaps you
have a favourite allsort? Mine is the round pink or yellow coconut flavoured one
with the black liquorice centre. Perhaps you have a different preference or like
different sweets altogether.

The good news is that there are no happy accidents when it comes to people.
As I write to you this month, the opening lines of the lively worship song, the Big
family of God came to mind: Some of us are big and tall, some of us are very small,
some of us like pink and some like blue. Some of us like reading books some of us
like feeding ducks that’s because we are different, me and you. But God loves
everyone he’s made, God loves each of us in his special way… It reminds us that
God, as our creator and loving heavenly Father, made each one of us as a divine
act of His love for us to fulfil a specific purpose and it was not by accident. In the
book of Psalms, David writes in chapter 139 verses 13 and 14: “for it was You (God)
who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will
praise You because I have been fearfully and wonderfully made”.

The great thing is God’s church welcomes all sorts – all different shapes and sizes
mixed up together like the liquorice allsorts we usually see when we open a fresh
bag and before someone eats all our favourite ones! It doesn’t matter what we
look like. It doesn’t matter if we think or act differently to other people around
us; if we have different personal tastes; or if we like doing different things. God
wants us to use the things we enjoy doing and things we are good at to serve him
in our everyday lives. God can use everything we do as a ministry to help fulfil his
greater purposes in the world. Meeting together, loving, and encouraging one
another through discipleship means we can help each other to find out what God’s
plan is for each of us. God wants each one of us to be part of his big church family
because He loves everyone who is wonderfully and fearfully made and that
includes you and me.