Last weekend I was asked to share some testimony at a joint churches service on Easter Sunday evening. The subject was ‘how do we know Jesus is alive today’ – the answer being that he is working in my life and countless others. I was asked for some examples and one that I seem to have shared a lot recently is about some words I felt God had given me in prayer.They were ‘Volte Face’. I didn’t know what it meant other than asuming it was Latin (odd language for God to use though!). Anyway it wasn’t, it seems to be dervived from French or Italian, meaning a change of opinion or position:
Volte-face (pronounced /vɒltˈfɑːs/ or /voʊltˈfɑːs/) is a total change of position, as in policy or opinion; an about-face.
The expression comes through French, from Italian voltafaccia and Portuguese volte face, composed of volta (turn) and faccia (face). In the context of politics a volte-face is, in modern English, often referred to as a U-turn or a flip-flop in the UK and the US respectively.
I have realised over the last few months of rather intense reflection on my life how much these words are true of my life. I knew we were transformed in Christ, but not to what extent. It seems there is not an area of my life that is untouched by Gods hand. Where I was stressed I am calm; where I had to be in control I have let go; (in fact have pretty much no idea where my life is going whereas before, the next 20 years where mapped out..); where I wouldn’t talk about my faith, now you can’t shut me up – I wouldn’t even do the reading in my old church, now I am leading a service every now and then; I pray for people at every opportunity, before we said we would never be the kind of people who asked others to pray about things for us… Oh dear, how God laughed I am sure…
And throughout all this change, and transformation, and U-turns I have the most amazing calmness about me. I can’t believe how unfazed I am by all of this. I don’t mean in terms of being calm all the time, I still shout at the kids sometimes, but underneath all of that there is a sense of peace. Perhaps I am finally becoming the person God intended me to be!
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