Take Your Time

Walking into town this morning, I passed a young woman with a small child.  The woman was holding an empty pushchair, looking behind where the child was.  The small toddler was walking very slowly.  I smiled to myself thinking 'you can't be in a hurry when a small child wants to walk.'  The mother knows where she's going and just wants to get there but for the child, it's a whole new adventure.  She wants to look closely at everything and just take time to enjoy the freedom of walking and taking it all in.  No doubt some things were new to her and so had to be investigated.

Those of us who are parents or grandparents remember well the times when our children discovered things for the first time.  Oh the excitement; the look on their faces; sheer wonder at discovering something new.

It does seem a shame that much of that wonder of seeing life goes as we grow older.  We can so easily get to the point of 'we've seen it all before' and dismiss the awesomeness of small things happening all around us.  We are so often in a hurry just to get from A to B as quickly as possible.  Busy, busy, busy; deadlines to meet; so much to pack into our 24 hours.  And before we know it, the months and years have flown by.  

I must say that as a retired person, I do have the privilege of not having deadlines to meet or places I must be.  Still, it is a good reminder to occasionally just stop and notice the small details of everyday life.  Take time, take a deep breath and enjoy just being alive.  Don't let life slip by without taking time to enjoy it.   

Now and Then

The farm owned by the blogger mentioned

A blog I follow commented this week about the way the countryside has changed, at least in the USA.  He was noting the difference between the number of small family farms that have now been taken over by the much larger and highly mechanised form of growing crops and farming animals.  He says that today only 15% of Americans live in rural areas.  In 1945 30% of Americans were farmers owning land with an average 195 acres.  Today less than 1% are farmers and most crops are grown on farms of over 1000 acres.  You can see his blog post on this link entitled Disappearing Farmers (October 21st).  I guess that is only one of the changes in the way our food is produced.  It is also true that the way we food shop has changed greatly over the last few decades and our expectations when we shop.  We now expect and usually get fresh food all year round as though there are no longer seasons for crops.  We can get food grown in more tropical climates whenever we want, more or less, without considering the cost of shipping this around the world just for our convenience.

The other day I had a conversation with a friend about the basket she was carrying.  She had made it herself from willow that grows on her land.  I made the comment that she should try selling them and make a business for herself.  Her reply was practical but a bit sad I thought.  She said that what she could charge for them and what people would be prepared to pay just wouldn't pay for the hours it takes to make them and so it would just not be cost effective and certainly not a way to make a living.  We came to the conclusion that sadly many old crafts are slowly dying as people either don't have the spare time to take them up as a hobby or they are no longer a way to earn enough money to be able to sustain a decent way of life.  To be fair, I had to admit that when buying something, price is a big consideration and if the item serves the purpose we buy it.  For most of us then it's more a case of why are we going to pay more just to get something that has been handmade when the cheaper version serves us just as well?  .    


This week saw a very important date in time travel.  Many will understand when I say the date October 21st 2015.  That was the date that Marty McFly experienced when he flew in the time travel car from the year 1985, 30 years into the future in the film Back To The Future.  There was much on the news as people considered just how many of the things that he experienced in the film actually are now commonplace and which things never came to pass.  Of course much of the technology we now take for granted could not have been envisaged 30 years ago - individual mobile phones, internet connection on the go from just about anywhere and being able to talk face to face to someone on the other side of the world.  I'm sure you can think of many other ways that our lives have been revolutionised and changed forever. 

All this brings to mind the truth that things are continually evolving and changing.  Some things are sadly lost while other things are received with much pleasure.  Maybe it makes us think about the things that are under threat and if we really want to lose them or if they no longer serve their purpose in a modern era.  The same goes for religion.  We hang on to traditions, just because they are traditions when maybe we should be letting them go in favour of other ways that are more compatible with our world today.  Tradition is good but only if it is fit for purpose.  Just as we evolve and change and the world around us is constantly evolving, we should continually be evolving in spirit in order to continue to follow where the spirit leads.  Why do we do the things we do?  Is it simply because that's the way we've always done them?  Is what worked in days gone by working today?  Is it making a difference and making our world a better place?  Our faith is worth nothing if it's not applicable to our lives now in the 21st century.  It is good to remember the past but not to live in it.  What do I need to hold on to and what should I let go?  My belief system must be relevant to my life now or what's the point?  These and many more questions come to mind when thinking about my spiritual journey now and then.

Imperfect

Every Wednesday morning I help out at the luncheon club that is held in the church hall just further along the street where I live.  We had a break for the summer during the month of August but this week we were back again.  Someone had donated a large bag full of apples they thought we might be able to make some use of.  As it happened, on the menu this week was pork and gammon so some freshly made apple sauce was just right.  There was plenty left over that was partly cooked and put in the freezer to use at some future date in some dessert.  What caught my attention was that they were all apples that you would never have been able to buy at any store.  

They weren't perfectly formed.  Some had bruises from their fall from the trees and some had a few bits that had to be cut away and discarded.  Having said all that we made good use of what we had, imperfect as they were.  It never ceases to amaze me just how much food must be discarded just because it is not perfectly formed or has some bruising or is maybe a little overripe.  What a waste!  We don't know because such merchandise never actually gets into the shops for us to buy even if we wanted to.  

It seems that nowadays everybody looks for perfection in all things.  Nobody wants to tolerate anything less than perfection, whether that be the shape of fruit or any other merchandise we may want to buy.  Anything that is even slightly damaged is discarded.  We would be in real trouble if God thought that about us though!  'If you're not perfect, you're not welcome here in heaven' is not something that God who is love would say to anyone.  We sing the song 'Just as I am' and that's how God accepts us.  

Stories from the Old Testament should really open our eyes to the overwhelming love and grace that God has for his creation.  King David who is held in such high esteem was a murderer and coveted the wife of another.  Lot got drunk and had incestuous relations with his daughters (even though it was their idea)  Samson was a womaniser.  Gideon kept asking God for proof of what God was asking him to do.  Joseph was an arrogant show-off, always taunting his older brothers.  Jacob was a cheat, finding a way to steal his brother's birthright.  Rahab was a prostitute.  And in the New Testament, Paul, who is so revered and quoted by Christians, aided and abetted in the extermination of Christians, ruthlessly hunting them down and gloating at the stoning of Stephen.  These make up many stories in our Scriptures - God's word.  The murderer David and the prostitute Rahab are mentioned in the lineage of Jesus, the perfect son of God.  

Nobody's perfect!  Yet God loves and blesses and uses us.  He does not discard us because of our imperfections.  I need to remember that whenever I see something not quite perfect or before making some judgmental remark about someone.    

What a Life!

Ben Fogle in Laos

I am currently enjoying the miniseries on television with Ben Fogle - New Lives in the Wild (Mondays channel 5  at 9 pm - UK)  He visits people who have opted out of the rat race and spends a week with them discovering just why they do what they do and have decided to live where they live.  The first one in the current series was about a 31 year old former financier from London who one day decided that there was more to life than work and the financial world he lived in.  He was searching for a place where he could be happy.  He bought a one-way ticket and set out for Asia.  He eventually settled in a hand made bamboo hut on a hidden jungle island on the Mekong river, Laos.  He lives like all the other people there and is accepted as one of them. 


Another 61 year old woman from Europe has lived alone for the past 8 years (since her husband died) in a part of the remote outback in Australia caring for the wildlife surrounding her home and a herd of wild horses who come to her when she calls them.  She also was looking for something more than what money can buy.

I saw somewhere this week the words - Making a Living or Making a Life.  Sometimes they are the same thing but more often than not there is a big gap between the two phrases.  Of course we need to work in order to have the things that we need.  Most people work at ordinary jobs so they can enjoy a form of reasonable life.  There our times when our lives seem to be governed by money - paying for this or that essential. (or what we in 21st century Britain accept as essential for life).  Do I buy because I need something or because it's the latest in thing, a 'must have' in order to have some sort of acceptance in society (if that is important to us)?


The thing is that in time most people come to realise that all the stuff that money buys us may make us comfortable but often there is still a space deep down, yearning for real happiness.  The things money can buy are of this world and this life and  have to stay here when we leave this life.  We cannot take them with us.  We have to leave them behind.  So why do we do it?  Why do we work ourselves to the bone so we can have more money to buy more stuff?  If that is your dream and it really makes you happy, fair enough.  But as the Beatles used to sing, 'Can't buy me love'.  You can buy diamond rings or flashy cars or dine out to impress but they don't guarantee love.  You can't buy peace.  You can't buy a happy homelife.  You can't buy acceptance or understanding.  I'm sure you could add more to the list.  So what do we do?  We need to make a living  to a certain extent but do we need to do it at the expense of making a life with things that money can't buy?  




I am reminded of something Banksy shared on Twitter (picture right)


I think that's a good note to end on and leave us thinking about our lives and what are the important things for us.    

Cherry Picking

Our cherry tree laden with fruit (inedible to humans)

When we moved into our current home I was pleased to find there were two large cherry trees in the back garden.  The first spring we were here, they both blossomed and so we looked forward to the fruit later that year.  Ah!  Oh dear!  One of the trees didn't give any cherries at all - nothing, zilch, zero, nada!  It was unbelievable, after all that lovely blossom. After 6 years we still get loads of lovely blossom but haven't seen any fruit, not even one very small cherry on that tree.  The other tree however was absolutely laden with fruit.  Oh, good.  That sort of made up for the disappointment of the other tree.  I picked a couple to eat - well you have to try things before you give them to others in the family!  Ugh!  They were so bitter.  I was determined to make use of them so I decided to pick some and cook them in a pan with a load of sugar and then make a cherry pie.  Well, that went down a treat - very nice.  Until the next day that is, when both my son and I spent much of the time in the smallest rooms of the house (thankfully we have the bathroom upstairs and a downstairs WC) until the cherries had completed their journey through our digestive system!  Needless to say, we haven't had any cherries from the garden since then,  The birds seem to enjoy them so we leave them for the feathered population that visit our garden.  It seems that cherry-picking doesn't always have the results you hope for or expect.

Life's like that.  You look forward to something.  You make plans in your head of what is going to happen and what you're going to do when such and such happens ... ... but then it doesn't turn out the way you hoped.  You're left with a strange feeling inside, not the experience you'd hoped for.  But you deal with it, learn from it and life goes on.

The problem I find though is that so many people look at circumstances and ask 'What did I do to deserve that?'  'Why has God allowed this to happen to me?'  It's as though God is some sort of super Santa Claus who's checking us out to see who's been naughty and who's been good and gives rewards accordingly.  God is not a Santa Claus for grown-ups!  He's not in the business of rewarding us for 'good works' and punishing us if we fail. That's not how he is or how he works.  He simply loves us no matter what.  C S Lewis said,

 'If God is love, he is, by definition, something more than mere kindness.' 

In Matthew's gospel we read that God sends the rain on the just and the unjust and that the sun shines on the good and the evil in like measure.  Some things are just the stuff of life.  And things happen to us whether we are believers or unbelievers.  Religious faith and belief are not an insurance policy against bad things happening.  What is in the 'insurance policy' of faith though is that God will walk with us through the difficulties.  When Jesus talks about leaving his peace to his followers, he didn't mean peace as in lack of turmoil, difficulties, heartache or problems.  It's a different sort of peace.  It's the sort of deep-down peace.  If you picture the ocean in a storm and the wind and waves are lashing about, tossing about anything on the surface of the water.  But deep down underneath, there is calm - no wind, no waves, no tossing about.  Just deep peace.  I don't need to spiritualise the picture - you get it.

On Twitter I follow a man called David Hayward.  He has a blog called nakedpastor.com  He describes himself as a graffiti artist on the walls of religion.  (Click on the link to check him out)  The other day he wrote on Twitter 'I certainly can't rely on external circumstances to achieve peace.  Peace must begin in my mind.' 

We can't cherry-pick our life's experiences.  We can plan ahead but don't get upset if things don't turn out the way you hoped.  Disaster has a habit of rearing its ugly head.  No matter who you are or what your beliefs are, life happens!  It's how we react and deal with the situation that matters.  But we don't need to struggle on our own - God wants to walk with us.  His love wants to envelop us and give us that deep peace amid the storm.  Accepting his offer of peace doesn't stop the storm but it helps to get through it.

Living It

I have to admit that when I was at school (many, many moons ago!) I was more of a Maths person.  I loved Algebra.  To me it seemed more like a game, solving a puzzle.  What I never really liked was the science subjects. (Sorry to all you scientists out there.)  We had to take at least one science subject so I decided on Biology.  I always found reading the scientific books very hard going, especially when they used Latin terminology.  But I did enjoy the practical lessons.  After carrying out some experiment, the dull, boring books somehow came to life.  On doing the experiments and discovering the results, the written word began to make some sense.  Even now I love watching nature documentaries and seeing things that you can only imagine when you read about them.

The written word, although necessary and good for reference is only part of the whole picture.  So many people refer to sacred texts as though they are the be all and end all of religious thought.  We call the Bible the Word of God.  Many take that to mean that there was no word from God before the Bible or has been since.  For them the written word in the Bible is the sum total of what God is and what his truth means almost to the point of worshipping the written word.  But God's first words were of creation - and God said ... ....  Throughout the Bible we have stories of God's word.  He gave the commandments, written words, rules of dos and don'ts as a guide.  He spoke through prophets in order to bring his words alive.  Often the prophets would actually live out their prophecies so people could see what they meant.  And then of course, Jesus came to show us what God is like - the (written) word made flesh.  We can read something and not really grasp the full meaning until we actually see it lived out.

I like to think of nature as the first Bible - the spoken word of God as opposed to the written word.  Our faith should not be just about the written word, theology, the things that we believe.  It's not about reciting creeds, dogmas and belief systems.  The written word should always point to the living word.  We are each a living example of our faith.  The Celtic British monk Pelagius (c 354 - 418) once said, 

'It is not what you believe that matters, it is how you respond with your heart and your actions.  It is not believing in Christ that matters, it is becoming like him.'  

Red Admiral butterfly

We learn from nature, the living word of God how all of creation is interdependent.  One species does not exist to the exclusion of all others.  Even within a species there is diversity.  A white cabbage butterfly is not 'wrong' because it is not coloured like a red admiral butterfly.  We smile at that ridiculous thought.  Yet we look at others who look, think and act a bit differently from us and presume that they must be wrong.  No!  They're just different.  Jesus (the written word made into the living word) shows that God's love is all-embracing.  As Richard Rohr in one of his meditations this week says,

Unfortunately we moved all-knowing of God largely into the realm of argumentative words, which extremely narrowed the field of knowing and actually experiencing.

I wish we could take on board God's living word and learn from it more and not be so dogmatic about our personal and particular interpretation of the written word so that our experience of him becomes deeper and more meaningful - his living word becoming flesh in and through us.

Bubbles

Who, as a child has not enjoyed the delights of blowing bubbles and watching them float away showing all their changing colours as they go?  Children are fascinated by this very simple and cheap pastime, chasing them and trying to catch them.  A bubble is simply some gas enclosed in a thin film of water and it is the reaction of the water film with the light that creates the shimmering colours that causes so much fascination and delight.  The word 'bubble' conjures up a number of ideas.  As a Northerner, I remember parents saying to children, 'Giv' ower bubbling'.  For the uninitiated this means 'stop crying'.  To bubble is to be stirred with emotion, hence the word bubble referring to crying - the strong emotional response to a situation.  Most people will have experienced the sensation of something bubbling up inside as a reaction to a moving situation.  This can be said equally of anger, sadness, apprehension or joy.  Others of course think of a bubbly personality as being someone who is cheerful and positive in their outlook. 


I heard the other day of someone who referred to a person as 'living in a bubble'.  A person who actually needs, for medical reasons, to live in a literal bubble is in a very sad situation.  They are not free to live in the real world as there is so much that can harm them and possibly end their life and so they need to be protected from the outside world by living in a bubble-shaped prison.  They exist within a very limiting way of life and cannot freely share in activities that others enjoy.  When we refer to someone as living in a bubble, we infer that they don't really live in the real world.  They seem to live in a childlike, naive state that only sees what immediately affects them .  They somehow cannot see beyond their own little, limited world and seem incapable of sharing or sensing what others are feeling or their circumstances in life.  There is no other alternative to the way they think or feel.  Everything beyond their bubble is alien to them.  



Sadly many people seem to fall into this category, whether that be about politics, their own sense of being right, thoughtlessness towards others or with religion.  They live surrounded by a protective bubble.  It's as though anything outside of their bubble is alien to them and harmful so they stay inside the bubble where they feel secure and comfortable.  Their bubble might look nice and colourful but it is really a sort of prison limiting their scope and ability to really express themselves freely without restrictions.  It floats away because it's not the real world and yet for so many it is their world as though nothing exists outside of it.  But there is life outside the bubble.  We need to be aware of what goes on around us, how others think and live.  It's good to have the emotions of life bubbling up inside of us but not to live within the confines of a bubble. There is so much more to life than the restrictions that a bubble existence imposes.  There are those who see life from a different perspective but are just as right as we are and are striving to be true to themselves, the people they believe they were created to be, even if that is different from our view point.  Chase the bubble if you want but don't become captive to it and think that that is all there is.  We may not feel so safe and protected but outside the bubble is where the real life is lived, varied, creative, adventurous and interesting.  That's where the true freedom is.  

Change Course Of Action

The other day traveling home on the bus, we reached one of the main roundabouts in town.On the way around there were four cars that had stopped.  Apparently one car had changed lanes suddenly and bumped into another car causing a literal knock-on effect with the cars that followed.  Hence four cars all blocking the roundabout causing mayhem with the traffic.There didn't seem to be anyone hurt but a few irate drivers getting out of their vehicles to protest and look at the damage and take down insurance details.  No doubt for some it will mean a trip to the mechanic at the garage to sort out any problems that might have been caused and maybe a little paint job and the cars will look like new again.


I remember when I was a driver, how every year I would take the car to my friend at his garage in order for him to sort out any problems in order to get it through its MOT.  Wear and tear generally means that there was something to be done in order to get the car up to proper working order and efficiency.  The thing is as with most things, we can make do and mend for a while but there comes a time when we can't really fix the problems any more and things need to be replaced.  There is a time for more drastic action to be taken, when continuing with the same thing doesn't work any more.


This week I had my annual check up at the optician's.  I go every year.  A bit like an optical MOT.  I know that my eyes have gradually been getting worse over the past number of years because of cataracts.  That's partly the reason why I don't drive anymore.  There were all the usual procedures - shining a bright light and looking into my eyes or rather right through my eyes, how far down the board can you read?, can you see more clearly with this lens than with that lens etc etc etc.  The verdict eventually, after getting a second opinion from a more senior optician, was that it was not worth giving me glasses with new lenses as really I had reached the point that the best option was to have eye surgery to remove the cataracts that were causing the bad eyesight.  



There are occasions when surgery would seem a rather daunting prospect but in this case it was what I was hoping for.  There comes a time when trying to make the best of a situation becomes tiresome.  We just want a solution.  We want it sorted once and for all.  And after a number of years of having a change of prescription for my spectacles and having some improvement for a few months before it eventually got worse ... again...  it was kind of a relief to know that now at last there was going to be a solution.  How often do we just plod on in life, doing the same thing, sometimes reviving things a bit and then keep going when maybe it's time for a more drastic solution?  How often do we wonder, 'What's the point?  Why do I keep on doing this, going there, supporting that?  Nothing really changes.  Still the same old thing.when I yearn for more.  If things just aren't working any more then maybe it's time for something different.  Be brave, it'll be worth it.
   

Reassuring

A very important wedding invitation.

We have a summer wedding to look forward to.  My elder son is tying the knot with his partner in June after spending the last 12-13 years as a single man.  The other day I went to the office in town to buy our travel tickets for the occasion from National Express.  (I like to be organised in good time)  I bought my senior coach card that allows me a discount and also the tickets for my other son and myself for a return journey.  The receptionist gave me the receipts and I left.  After I got home I looked for the tickets to put them in a safe place but could not find them.  I rummaged in my handbag - not there - and then in the shopping bag but to no avail.  Actually thinking about it, I didn't remember actually being given the tickets.  So I had to make another trip to the office to tell them that I have the receipts but couldn't find the tickets.  The person behind the desk checked and them handed me the tickets.  Apparently the person who served me had given me the receipts and my senior coach card but hadn't actually handed over the tickets.  Phew!  What a relief!  Partly to know that I hadn't mislaid them and would have to buy another set of tickets and partly to reassure me that I hadn't been so confused that I had forgotten where I had put them.  

A couple of weeks ago I took part in a set of tests for bowel cancer.  It's something I have done every couple of years for quite a long time now.  Still between doing the tests and getting the results, there is always that uncertain feeling, waiting for the results, even if you do feel absolutely fine.  This week I received the results and everything is normal.  Again what a relief.  It is reassuring to know that according to the test, I'm doing ok.  

The capped pipe.

This week also saw us having a visit from the gas man to have our annual service for our heating system.  I know the boiler is getting old but it serves us well and again it was reassuring to know that it passed with flying colours despite its age and so there is no extra expense at least for another year.  While he was here, the engineer noticed that we had taken the front off the gas fire as we never use it (I prefer to just use the radiators for all round warmth) He checked and suggested that he should actually cut the pipe leading to the fire and cap it to make sure that there is no gas escape.  He did exactly that and also taped the end of the open pipe so that no spiders or other small creatures could get in but wouldn't take any extra money (not even a tip to buy himself a pint) even though the extra work wasn't in his original remit.  He then did an extra check just to make sure that there was no escaping gas.  Again what reassurance to know that the expert had given his opinion and that there was nothing to worry about.

There are times in life when we get a little apprehensive about something that may or may not be life-changing but how good it is to receive that reassurance that actually we are doing ok.  Everything has been checked and there isn't a problem where we thought there might or could have been.  When we have doubts about things, especially spiritual matters, we can sometimes feel that we shouldn't talk about them or question what everyone else seems to take for granted.  Do you have any doubts or questions about what we're told we should believe or accept?  We would seldom mention anything to those who are considered to be 'experts' or 'professionals' in the matter in case we're criticized rather than listened to.  We would probably be considered a bit of a loose cannon or even heretic or having 'lost our faith'  So it's really good when someone else airs those same doubts.  It reassures us to know that we're not the only ones thinking that way and maybe we don't have a problem after all.  Many of the writers of the Bible, particularly of the Psalms, had no problem in questioning God and criticizing those considered to be leaders of their faith.  Jesus himself on many occasions disagreed with those in spiritual leadership in his day.  So maybe it's time for us all to stop keeping our doubts to ourselves. Who knows? We might discover that many others are on a similar wave length and actually we are doing ok and can reassure and encourage each other on our journey. 

Growing Diversity

This week we have enjoyed some lovely spring weather here in the south west of England.  At last I have been able to get out into the garden and get things growing again.  I have managed to sow quite a few different vegetables and planted some fresh flowers.  We are in no way self sufficient in providing and growing our own food.  Space and personal physical energy don't allow for this but it is good to be able to eat something that you've grown yourself.  It is so much healthier when you know that they haven't been doused in chemicals or somehow force fed to produce perfect-looking produce.  Because they are fresher of course they are tastier.  I plant the flowers, partly because I like to see nice flowers in a garden and partly to encourage the bees and butterflies necessary in the pollination of other plants that we eat.  I try to grow a variety as it looks more interesting and, as far as food is concerned, is better for us.  I often think of the Israelites during the Exodus from Egypt and really sympathize with them.  I mean, what must it be like to have to eat manna and quails every day.  They wandered in the desert for 40 years.  And we complain if we have the same thing twice in two weeks!  In the 21st century we know that a variety of food is not only pleasing to the palate but necessary for health reasons.  A good variety gives us a balanced and nutritious diet that leads to good health.  Too much of one thing and not enough of something else is not good for us.  It can create an imbalance within our bodies and leaves us lacking in some nutrient.

I do like to see pictures of a snowdrop or bluebell wood but when it comes to the garden of a house I have to admit that having only one type of flower does not appeal to me.  In fact most gardens seem to grow different types of flowers as well as different colours to put on a display.  A walk through a park is more enjoyable if there are displays of different flowers, bushes and trees and when we buy a bunch of flowers to put in a vase, more often than not we choose a bunch that has more than one colour or at least one colour plus greenery.  So in food and in plants we like and need diversity.



And so I ponder ... ... why, oh why can we not accept this in society?  We say that we accept people being different but there is a big difference between tolerance and acceptance.  We might tolerate those who express themselves differently as long as they stay over there out of my way.  Those who have a different culture, a different way of living, a different way of expressing their beliefs, a different way of loving are so often made to feel outsiders so that they huddle together in their own isolated communities and not accepted in general society.  We have so much to learn from God's creation.  The rose doesn't say that he is better and nicer looking than the daisy and so more important.  They are both as important and beautiful as the other in their own way and circumstances.  Someone once remarked, 'Our differences combine to create meaning and beauty.'   God created all things diverse, not to compete against each other but to complement each other and together to make a rich world beneficial to all.  Diversity is healthy and pleasurable.  That is how God designed it.  We need to learn to live together in harmony and diversity in order to really express God's intention for our world.

Noticing The Familiar

When I receive an online order form my local supermarket, fruit and salad goods are put into a paper carrier bag.  The intention, of course, is to show just how 'green' they are by using paper carriers and not plastic bags.  (The fact that they still use plastic bags for other produce is beside the point!) This has been going on for quite some months so I was surprised the other day to notice something about the paper carrier that I hadn't noticed before.  Apart from their name, there was some other writing on the bag.  I read it and found that it was a useful tip for peeling root ginger.  Why hadn't I noticed that before?  I then started looking at other bags (I don't throw them away but keep them for recycling) to see how many other tips I had missed without realising.

They say that seeing is believing but actually when I read the tip about peeling ginger, I thought about it and then decided I needed to try it just to see if it was as they advocated - and yes, it works exactly as they say it will and so easy.  That's something I will be doing from now on.  Of course it could well be that other people already knew this but it was new to me.  It did set me thinking about how much I just glance over things out of familiarity without really noticing.  How much might I be missing?



We live in an instant, press-button world where things are done so quickly and for efficiency, so it's claimed.  The other day I read on a social media about someone who had gone walking with a friend who walked really slowly. The friend's reasoning behind this was, 'When we walk too fast, we forget to be with each other.'  I like that.  How often in life do we walk so fast that we forget to be present to the moment?  How often do we just skip over things without spending time to really notice or listen?  I guess that as a pensioner, I'm fortunate that I am able to spend possibly a little more time on things - or maybe it just takes me longer now to do things that I did more quickly before!  But seriously, we tend to fill our lives with busyness and so miss much that could be beneficial.  I remember when I first retired there was a real danger of suddenly overfilling my diary thinking that now I had nothing else to do!  Then you find that you're busier than when you had employment.

If only we took notice of God's wisdom, making sure that we have a day of rest.  For those whose 'day of rest' is actually quite busy, maybe you should choose another day to rest.  He also tells us 'Be still and know that I am God'. Stop, look and listen or we'll miss so much of real value, for us and for others.

Planks and Splinters

How not to park a car

I guess most of us have pet hates, things that really irritate us.  One of my pet hates is people who think that the rules apply to everyone else but not to them.  As a driver I used to get annoyed when in a parking lot, there always seemed to be someone who didn't park properly between the lines so left it almost impossible for another car to park next to it.  Or drivers who never seemed to indicate where they were going, expecting others to use telepathy to guess which exit they were going to turn off at a roundabout.  Now, as a pedestrian those irritations have been replaced it seems by others.

Blocking the aisle at the supermarket

The other day, my son and I were in town doing a bit of shopping.  We had been to the supermarket and were walking back to the town centre when my son said,'Do you realise that this morning you have done two of the things that you get irritated about when other people do them?'  Me?  Never!  I wouldn't!  Then he began to gently remind me of two incidents when I had suddenly stopped in one of the aisles at the supermarket blocking the whole passage with my trolley, making the lady behind me stop suddenly and unable to pass me until I moved.  Then later on our way into the town centre I moved across the pavement in order to cross the road but in doing so walked right in front of somebody else without looking or realising that I nearly bumped into them.

Mrs Do-as-you-would-be-done-by

The truth is that if that had happened to me I possibly would have made a comment that people should watch where they are going and that  people wander around in their own little world oblivious to those around them.  And I had done just that.  Guilty as charged.  They are not grave sins or criminal activities but little niggles about thoughtlessness towards others.  The thing is that I hadn't even noticed that I had done exactly the things that I moaned about when others do them.  The words of Jesus came to mind about seeing the splinter in the other person's eye when I have a plank in my own.  Or the character from the children's book The Water Babies, Mrs Do-as-you-would-be-done-by.

Oh dear!  How easy it is to notice flaws and failings in others and how we delight to point them out and yet how often we are guilty of similar, if not the same flaws and failings.  Somehow we don't see our own faults, only those of others.  Something I read many years ago that said that we should be prepared to forgive and overlook the faults and flaws of others because they have to do the same for us.  Ouch!  I am humbled and reminded that no-one is perfect, myself included.

The Irony of Life

On a Wednesday morning I always get up at 6.30 to sort out the recycling and rubbish.  The bins need to be out by 7 am.  You can put them out the night before but most people, myself included, prefer to put them out in the morning, mainly to avoid the animal wildlife (including fox and badger) that comes out here at night and that would make a real mess rummaging in the stuff we throw away.  This week I noticed that it was quite light when I put the bins out.  Until now the early mornings have been dark but the lighter mornings and the longer evenings before nightfall are becoming noticeable.  It makes it much easier when you can see clearly what you are doing even if you have got a security light to help.  There's no light to compete with natural light.  The other day I was also able to hang the washing outside to dry.  When I brought it in the house again it was completely dry.  I had managed to wash, dry and iron the clothes all before our evening meal.  I haven't been able to do that for quite a few months.


Anyone who knows me knows how I love my garden.  When living in England, I have always had a garden, except that is when I first came to live in Yeovil.  My son and I shared an upstairs flat.  The thing I really disliked was that I had no plot of land to grow anything and when we opened the (only) door of the flat all you could see was stairs.  Ugh!  You couldn't even see outside - just stairs.  So I was over the moon when we were able to move to the house we now live in as I have a nice big rear garden.  The thing is now at 74 I wish I had the energy I had 10 years ago but I still manage to potter around and enjoy it.


The thing about these three experiences is that having experienced the down side of things, I have come to appreciate the positive side.  If I were always able to put the bins out in daylight, then I wouldn't appreciate the lighter mornings.  During the winter months, the drying of clothes has to be done indoors and I really prefer to hang things out to dry by the natural warmth of the sun and the movement of the breeze.  I think clothes smell nicer if they've been dried outside.  At least that's my opinion.  So I really like it when I can get things washed and dried all in the same day without having to live with damp clothes hanging around.  Having lived in an upstairs flat made me realise just how much I enjoy having a garden and how much I missed not having one.  So it seems that experiencing the negative side of things helps us to appreciate the positive side more.

Just this week I read something that brought this home to me.  It said:

Life is so ironic that we have to have known sadness in order to savour happiness, noise in order to appreciate silence and absence in order to enjoy someone's presence.

I think that is a sentiment we can all relate to.  Take time and dwell on each one for a while.  It's a bit like the two sides of a coin.  You can't have one without the other.  So even out of the not-so-nice experiences in life, we can gain something good.

Creative Spirit

This was taken at the beginning of this week.
Now the bulb is past the height of the leaves. 

Every year for the past few years, a friend of mine has given me an amaryllis bulb for my birthday.  This year she visited me in the second half of January and brought the bulb with her.  A couple of days later I planted the bulb and within the short space of a month it has grown immensely and now has a bud just waiting to open.  Such elegance and beauty from something that looks quite dirty and not at all pretty.  It cheers the heart to see signs of spring all around us now.  Snowdrops have been and gone, crocuses are blossoming and the daffodils are growing stronger every day - that is the bulbs in my garden.  Early daffodils have been flowering in other parts of the town since around Christmas time.  It is encouraging to see new life, whenever and wherever it occurs.  It brings a sense of hope for the future after dark and dreary days. 

Not the owl from Simon King's website but
another Barn Owl brooding over her eggs.

There was great delight this week on the website of Simon King the naturalist, when the camera that he has in the owl nest box showed that when the female owl moved an egg could de seen.  Another form of new life bringing hope for the future of the owl population in that area of Somerset.  It reminded me of the dawn of creation when the Spirit of God hovered over the waters or as the Message Bible refers to it, 'God's spirit brooded like a bird ...'   A great error of the church generally is that we tend to think of the Holy Spirit and her work in terms of Pentecost, charismatic expressions of religion and big gatherings when we are 'in the right spirit' and utter the right words in prayer, then the Holy Spirit is manifest sometimes in strange and unusual ways like speaking in strange tongues, falling over, shaking or fits of laughter.  It's as though we need to follow a set formula if we want to see God's Spirit at work.  Yet at the very beginning of creation we see that God's Spirit was working, brooding over things.  The female bird broods over her eggs in order to give them warmth, protection, love and produce life.  She then continues to support and provide for her young.  With this picture in mind I can't help thinking of the Holy Spirit as the brooding, female expression of God.  So if I want to see the work of the Holy Spirit, I need go no further than my garden or look at my house plants.  Evidence of Her is all around.  They say that where's there's life there's hope.  Well I like to think of it as where there's life there's the Holy Spirit at work.  She breathes life wherever She goes.

My 'Christmas' cactus in February.

I also have another plant, a Christmas cactus.  It flowers every December.  The other day I noticed that there are a couple of buds on it ready to open.  It had already given an abundance of flowers in December so for this particular plant, this is out of season.  Another lesson - the Holy Spirit is at work in season and out of season.  She manifests herself and shows up when we least expect it.  When I was sorting out the house plants and ready to discard and throw away what I thought had died over the winter, I discovered that when I cleared away all the dead parts of a fuchsia plant, there were a few small new leaves just appearing - another lesson in how the Spirit of God renews and revives.




We miss so much when we limit God to certain gatherings and dates on the calendar.  He really is everywhere and the Spirit is continuously at work, not just at a time that the church considers there is some sort of 'outpouring' or revival.  God spoke and the Spirit brooded and creation came into being.  By observing creation, we see the Holy Spirit at work.  She continues to create life whether we notice or not but it's a shame if our preconceived, limiting ideas of Her blind us so we miss seeing the wonder of Her work all around us all the time.   

RAK Lent

This week in the Christian calendar has seen the beginning of Lent.  Many people practise the eating of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday but not all those who recognise Pancake Day commit to the 40 days of Lent.  I have to admit that I haven't always participated in the giving up of something for Lent.  It seemed to me to be a practice that had become almost a dogma among Christians, a sort of formula that had to be adhered to in order to be considered a committed Christian.  So being the rebel and non-conformist that I am, I stopped doing it.  Many of course find the self denial and discipline good for their spiritual lives and that's to be applauded.  Many make a conscious effort to pray and read the Bible more which is not a bad thing.


The 40 days of Lent, although a recognised part of the Christian calendar, was not something that Jesus himself practiced on a regular basis.  It is really in remembrance of his 40 days in the wilderness where he was tempted before beginning his ministry so in partaking of the practice of some form of fasting in Lent is not something Jesus particularly expected his disciples to do or his followers to take on board as some obligatory annual ritual.  For Jesus it was a very personal time in his journey on earth. So different people approach this time in different ways.  One very tongue-in-cheek look at Lent I saw this week was on twitter called 101 things to give up for Lent.  It included things like certain luxury food and drink as you might expect but also things like giving up non-Christian TV and books and also mid-air drumming and all shoes except sandals, saying at the end that if you do all the things on the list then you are a very godly person indeed!


The time that is remembered as I said is the 40 days before the start of Jesus' ministry and not the 40 days before what we now call Easter.  It was a time when Jesus wrestled with the concerns of his ministry, how he should go about it and what was the main thrust of his message.  It was not about him but about God and his love and forgiveness.  It was about making a change in the lives of many who were living on the margins of society.  It was 'good news to the poor'.  He quoted from the book of the prophet Isaiah when he began his ministry and we are reminded that in Isaiah God says to his people 

'Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the chords of the yolk, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter, when you see the naked to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?   ( Isaiah 58:6.7) 


In my musings and browsing along these lines, I have been challenged myself to live a different Lent this year - a Random Act of Kindness (RAK) Lent.  The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu suggests something on similar lines when he endorses Love Life Live Lent, saying that such acts of kindness to others could change our world.  I discovered that Pope Francis has also been saying something similar.  He suggests fasting on the indifference we have towards the problems of others.  So the RAK Lent is not just about giving up something but trying to make a difference.  Like the 40 days for Jesus was a preparation for his future life, I'm praying that this Lent might be a preparation for a year ahead that makes a difference in the every day living of just where I am.  For more ideas on what acts you could carry out check out Do Lent Generously an idea from the Christian charity Stewardship.  It has some excellent suggestions that are easy to follow.  It's not about giving in terms of money but also time, thought, being not so me-focused on what I'm giving up but more deliberately focused on the needs of others and how I can help to make a difference, making the world a better place for them. 

(Click on the red print to go to the links quoted.)

Going straight?

I must clarify from the start that this is not about living within the law or about sexuality.  It's about the direction of a journey.  When travelling, people usually prefer to go the quickest route possible.  That's why we have spent millions in making motorways so we can get from one place to another more directly.  We tunnel through mountains to save having to travel all the way around them.  We build bridges as a quicker way over waterways in order to cut the time of a journey.  And this is understandable.  Time is of the essence.  We just want to get to our destination without the hassle of actually travelling there.  


When people refer to 'the scenic route' it implies a rather round about way of getting to the same place and taking much longer to arrive.  The truth that we often miss is that it really is the scenic route.  The motorways, tunnels and bridges are for the most part just mile after mile of the same.  The scenic route however, possibly because of more twists and turns of the country roads, are usually more interesting.  We go through small villages and are able to refresh ourselves at some quaint country pub instead of the motorway service station.  There's usually less traffic also but as we know, this takes time and we don't always have the time to spare.  And that can seem a shame.


In comparison, when God does something, he takes great delight in not using straight lines.  Could you imagine a tree with straight branches and diamond-shaped leaves?  The only tree with straight branches I have seen is a one humans make of their family tree.  Or where is there a river that doesn't meander its way to the sea?  When we want to make a waterway we tend to dig straight down and as directly as possible between two points, using locks to move up or down along the stretch of the canal.  The twists and turns of nature is often breathtaking as we turn a corner and are confronted with some beauty of creation.  What a shame to miss that because we are in a hurry to reach our destination.  Many going on holiday try to think of the journey as part of the holiday and endeavour to find ways of enjoying it as such instead of getting over stressed by the actual travelling to get to the destination.


It's the same in life.  When I was younger, I had my future all planned out.  Then life happened!  Looking back it seems that my plans went right out of the window.  But if I'm honest I've had some wonderful experiences that I hadn't planned so I'm so glad that things didn't work out exactly as I thought they would or should.  We like things to go ahead as we plan without any complications or setbacks.  We have a goal and want to achieve it as soon as possible.  By being so intense on doing so we run the risk of missing an awful lot of wonderful experiences.  We are so focused on the end goal that we miss the 'now' moment.  When life has its twists and turns, I guess we should really think of it as God's way of doing things.  Doing things His way might mean living with the unexpected, having twists and turns, changing direction, travelling off the beaten track but so much more interesting and fulfilling.