Ernie Kilpatrick - A personal note
As I write this I can hardly believe that it’s almost 6 years since Davy Hoy
called into my workshop at the side of my home. As he looked around at some
of the things I was making his very words were “Boy, you’re the very man we’re
looking for at Christian Family Centre.” His words didn’t come as a complete
surprise. For some time (and unknown to Davy) 
I
felt God had been speaking to me through a Christian Family Centre newsletter,
just like this one, that spoke of the need for a person to manage the CFC workshops.
doesn’t mean it’s easy, and as I left the familiar surroundings of my own workshop
that first morning, I could quite easily have turned back home.
The initial 6 months were very tough as I was on a steep learning curve. As
well as working with others after working on my own for such a long time, I
was now faced with people’s problems that I had very little experience of. But
then I took a step back and realised that I had to let God be God. I learned
patience and that God does not always work at the pace we want Him to. There
are so many hurting people in this world but God has led some of them to CFC
Armoy. What a privilege it has been to watch God change lives – some dramatically,
some slowly but steadily. During the past 6 years, I have watched as God has
crafted new people from lives that were a mess. Those same people have made
some beautiful objects in the workshops as they discover new skills they never
knew they had. We have even made some rocking chairs, something I had been doing
and might continue to do although I don’t think I’ll be sitting in them much!
I love how God has made the seasons – the seasons of the year and the seasons
in our lives. I believe God called me to CFC Armoy for a season and it has been
one of the best of my life. If you’re reading this newsletter, like I did several
years ago, maybe God is saying it’s time to get out of the rocking chair – there’s
work for you somewhere else, and maybe even at Armoy! Yours Ernie