Listen!

There are times when you see or hear something and you just can't get it out of your head.  So it has been this week.  I follow a website that makes Bible based cartoons.  Some are really funny but one I saw this week got me thinking about listening.  This is the cartoon in question. (You can find this and more here)  







That also reminded me of a video that was on youtube and going the rounds on Facebook - about a 3 year old who was trying to explain to his mother just why he should have cupcakes when she had already said that he couldn't.  She was patiently listening to him and explaining that he was not having cupcakes for dinner and she was putting them  away and that 'NO he couldn't have any!'  He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer and kept on saying 'yes but listen to me', 'you aren't listening to me'.  Ah the frustrations that causes.  ( You can hear it Here)

The thing is that for many, as with the small boy, listening is synonymous with agreeing with.  How often do we say that people are just not listening to us when really we mean that they continue to disagree with what we are saying.  Another friend on Facebook and Blogworld has recently had similar problems with something he wrote and quite a backlash of disapproval because others disagreed.  They tried to convince him that he was wrong and in a sense that he wasn't listening to their explanations when really the point was that they didn't agree with what he said when all he was doing was expressing his thoughts and opinions at this point in his life journey.  We so often want to explain everything and accept things as long as they are within our own sphere of thinking but cannot accept anything that might be a bit different.  How often God must want to lead us further and evolve our thinking but we remain adamant that what we think is right and cannot be changed.

The cartoon at the beginning of this post brought home to me how many times God's presence is amazing and we have some wonderful experience and then we try to interpret it in a way that is for our benefit.  Our thoughts are focused on the experience itself rather than on what God is saying through it.  We have what we think are good ideas and ask God to bless our project instead of asking Him and listening to what He wants us to do with what He has revealed.  Again many think that some wonderful spiritual experience or high is for our own benefit and somehow a sign that we are maybe a little more worthy than others to receive such an experience or that it points to our higher position in the perceived spiritual hierarchy.  Those who pray/speak in tongues or have had visions or seen angels often have a sort of 'holier than thou' attitude when talking about it.  How often we wallow in our own sense of piety instead of asking why God has revealed Himself in such a way.  Really God is using it to get our attention in order to listen to His message.  Such experiences are usually not for our benefit but to equip us for what we are to go on to accomplish for Him.

The disciples wanted to stay on the Mount of Transfiguration.  They wanted to preserve the moment by making monuments.  Jesus' response was to go back down the mountain; there were needy people waiting; there was work to be done.  The mountain top experience was to encourage, strengthen and prepare for the work that was to follow.  If all we want to do is to keep enjoying the moment; if the objective is to recreate some experience then we miss the point.  Or as my dear mother used to say - some people are so heavenly minded they are no earthly use!  How often Jesus said 'He that has ears let him hear!'  And how often I have been a bit hard of hearing.

Spring Hope

The bus reached one of the main roundabouts on its way into town.  As we went around the roundabout one lady said , 'Oh look aren't they lovely?' pointing out all the daffodils and crocuses in bloom in the centre of the roundabout.  Another lady said,'Yes, they bring a smile to your face don't they?'  And it's true that spring flowers bring cheer and hope to a dreary, monochrome winter.  They herald a brighter future.  Even the shape of daffodils indicates the trumpeting of something better on the horizon.  How many of us, when we see the daffodils in bloom, think of those words of William Wordsworth - 10 thousand saw I at a glance - even if that short phrase is the only part of the poem that we know? 

A taste of my garden bringing a smile indoors

The interesting thing is that daffodils are not expensive flowers.  You can buy a bunch for a few pence.  They are possibly the cheapest flowers on sale.  To plant them, you buy a whole pack of bulbs - not like some plants that are extremely expensive for only one.  Maybe that's one reason why they are planted so profusely in our green spaces in towns - there are lots of them!  They don't have the perfume of a rose, the beauty of an orchid, the deep meaning of a poppy or the scarcity of some exotic bloom in danger of extinction.  They are just ordinary, abundant, nothing special and yet are so welcome as they burst into life after the dark, cold days of winter.


The other day I came across this picture of two small boys.  The older one was comforting and encouraging the younger one, bringing a smile to his worried little face.  He wasn't some great preacher with much knowledge or someone with 'film star looks'.  By his appearance, he didn't seem to be wealthy and yet he was able to bring a smile to another.  We can follow the lives of stars; we can listen to great preachers; we can look up to others who have great knowledge beyond our understanding but when we are feeling low, it's the one who cares and listens that brings a smile to our face.  When I think of Jesus and the stories we read of how people flocked to see and hear him, it's evident that he was someone with whom people wanted to spend time, he encouraged, he cared, he listened.  Sadly I often find that non-church-goers do not have the same opinion of Christians, often the opposite.  They come across as judgmental instead of welcoming.  They seem negative, full of 'don'ts' - don't do this, don't say that, don't go there.  Many are very quick to let you know where you are going wrong and how sinful you are - 'God says ... ... ', the Bible says ... ... '  And yet Jesus had the opposite attitude, always caring and welcoming, not for ever telling people how bad they were.



Someone once said that God must love ordinary people as He made so many of them.  When you look at the ordinary plentiful daffodils, you are not immediately struck by its beauty or think of it as being some expensive or rare flower.  What comes to mind is what it points to - Spring, hope, encouragement of more to follow.  That is how we should be living - just ordinary people bringing a smile to the lives of others by caring and encouraging.  You don't have to appear knowledgeable, clever, good looking or important in the eyes of others.  God loves to use and smile through HIs presence in the ordinary.  God in the ordinary, God of the everyday.

Busy, busy

The first half of this past week we have had some lovely weather and I managed to get into the garden and plant quite a few things - a few potatoes, carrots, peas and garlic.  At least I have made a start and hopefully over the next days and weeks more will get planted.  The lawn has had its first haircut of the year and my new lawn mower got used for the first time.  The other day my son said that he wanted to help me in the garden.  This was a bit of a surprise as he doesn't really like gardening but I wasn't going to argue.  Maybe he's taken pity on his old mother!  He did a great job in cutting down an unwanted tree and I'm sure I'll find many more jobs for him to do.


The latter half of the week has been quite cold with a great deal of fog well into the afternoon.  But still the men came and finally mended the roof, replacing the tiles that had been dislodged and broken during the last storm we had.  Slowly but surely it seems that life is taking on a more pleasant aspect.  This week I also managed to finish the jigsaw puzzle that I started a couple of weeks ago.  The trouble is there are 2 pieces missing and so that is now going out with the cardboard recycling next week.   On the whole it has been a week like any other week - always busy, doing the odd jobs to keep the home running and even when not busy with some activity, there's planning, thinking ahead, sorting out and catching up with emails and blogs.  One blog mentioned about someone who had returned to America after living in a country with a much slower pace of life.  She commented how she noticed the difference:

I saw there was a direct correlation between an obsession with self and an exhausting pace of life, even when the obsession was on good, churchy things. ... ... centering an entire day around productivity or effectiveness as a goal equaled very little focus on other people.  On relationships.

(Taken from http://www.aholyexperience.com, post entitled 'Why slowing down is paramount if we're ever to be the Body.')


It's so easy to get caught up in doing and achieving that we don't spend time slowing down.  Even in the everyday, same old, same old.  It is so easy and tempting to fill every minute with some activity to improve our situation or at least not to appear lazy.  And even when physically we stop doing things our minds are often sorting things out so that we have slowed the body but not our inner selves.  We still don't give our minds the space to just be and soak up God or give our time and attention to really listen to people without our minds half listening and half focusing on the next thing we need to be doing.  As Christians our objectives should not be all about monetary gain and profit but about Kingdom values of relationship one with another and with God - a good lesson and one I need to constantly remember.

Sowing for Harvest

Last year the winter seemed to go on for ever.  We had really cold weather right up until June so the things that I planted either didn't come to very much or were very late.  This year is quite different.  Although we have had many storms and very wet weather it has on the whole been quite mild as winters go and things are beginning to grow as spring emerges.  This week I've been to the garden centre and bought loads of compost, canes, seed potatoes and packets of seeds.  If the weather forecast is correct then I will be able to sow quite a lot over the weekend.  At least that's the plan.  Over the next few weeks my garden should start filling up with flowers, fruit and vegetables.

Some things I've moved around in order to make room for other things that I want to plant.  I'm attempting this year to grow a few more, different vegetables than I did last year and other things less than I have before.  You learn as you go along just what works and what doesn't, depending on your individual taste and energy levels for gardening.  We love strawberries (who doesn't?) so I'm making the strawberry patch larger.  We're also losing a small strip of lawn to make room for vegetable plants.  It's really a case of planting things in the required place; sowing the seeds where you want the harvest to be.

I was reminded of this when I read a post entitled Where to Sow? on a blog I follow (Martin Scott)  He puts it very well:

I ask if we have been seeking to sow too much inside the Promised Land and not enough in Babylon.  I wonder if we have been wanting a harvest but have not sown in the right places ..... maybe God is answering the prayers for harvest by relocating many into Babylon.
  
On the whole, I feel that Christianity for many centuries has sown within the system itself.  The emphasis for many is that once you're 'in' the system it's really only a matter of staying there, safe and secure until we die to have an assured place in the eternal Kingdom.  Meeting together to encourage each other and sing praises to God is great but let's not kid ourselves that this is bringing in the harvest that God wants.  The fields are white unto harvest but we stay in the house (of God).  It's almost like we're in the house, looking out of the window at the garden while keeping the seeds safe and secure in the packet on the shelf.  That way we will never have a harvest.  We need to go out there and sow the seeds where they will bring fruit.  So in answer to our prayers, many like myself find ourselves now 'in Babylon'.  Yes, there will be disappointment sometimes; yes it requires effort and work; yes different types of plants require different kinds of nurturing.  There is no 'one size fits all' system or way of sowing, planting or harvesting but yes the harvest is worth it.  

The time is right and I need to get out and sow some seeds - in our garden ... and in Babylon. 

Spring Surprises and Pleasures

The other day I was sorting out a cupboard I very rarely go into.  It's where we keep board games and such like.  I found a jigsaw that I don't remember ever having completed.  So as I carefully re-organised the cupboard and put everything back in some sort of order, I decided to leave the jigsaw puzzle out.  It is a puzzle of 1000 pieces with a lot of green trees so I guessed it would take quite a long time to do it, especially as I only go to it in my spare time.  I haven't finished it yet but had almost forgotten just how much I enjoy completing jigsaws.  I have spent an unexpected but very pleasant and satisfying few hours seeing the picture gradually coming to life. 

I took this at about 7 o'clock in the morning.

Although it still rains just about every day, at least the really bad storms that caused so much damage over the past 2 months seem to have subsided somewhat.  Between showers, it can sometimes be rather pleasant and the sun does have a more warming effect than during the winter months.  The other morning was one such time when early morning I was able to sit in the doorway at the back of the house - early morning is still a bit nippy to sit outside, for me anyway - and I enjoyed my first mug of coffee of the day looking and listening to creation.  The early birds were calling to each other, a couple flitting by 'making friends' as the male sought to convince a female to set up nest with him.  The sun was just beginning to appear, its glow painting the clouds pink against the blue sky.  A moment of heaven's beauty.

Daffodils in Yeovil

That same morning I was able at last to get out into the garden and start sorting out, trimming back and clearing up after the winter.  There needs to be a time of dark days and cold weather.  It is the time when the garden seemingly dies back but in actual fact it is a time of secret growing, deep underneath and hidden.  We don't see it but we wait and then, as if by magic, when the days become a little longer and the air is a bit warmer, creation begins to stir again and is re-awakened.  I walked around the garden.  The crocuses were in flower and the daffodils in bud, there are new leaves appearing on the buddleia, cherry tree and fig tree as the garden wakes up and gets dressed.  The green verges of our town are full of spring flowers and I even heard a neighbour giving his lawn its first trim of the year.  The sounds and sights of early spring cheer the heart. 


This week I also heard from a friend who had moved and I didn't know her new address so haven't been in touch for some time.  We journeyed together for a while when she went through a very difficult personal family time.  We spent many hours together.  I mostly listened, gave hugs and made mugs of coffee.  Eventually after a number of months she was able to begin moving forward, putting the past behind her, eventually meeting someone who was able to offer her a future together.  In the post the other day I received a note telling me to keep a certain date in June free when she and her new friend would seek God's blessing on their marriage.  What a lovely surprise.  It is so good to know that she is now enjoying life again.

Spring has sprung and things are beginning to stir into activity!  It puts a smile on my face just to look at the new life emerging and say 'Welcome Spring'.