Life in the Ordinary Lane

Stottie Cake

As I mentioned in my last post, a couple of friends recently visited the northeast where I was born and lived until my early twenties.  I later lived there from the mid 1970s until I retired in 2001 when I moved down to Yeovil in the West Country.  On their return, they called round to give me some stottie cake.  That is a sort of flat bread that is typical of that region of the UK.  It took me back to my childhood and subsequent years when I lived in there.  It is traditionally eaten with ham and pease pudding (a sort of very mushy peas with the texture rather like humus).  The thing that really stuck with me was the fact of how I had actually missed eating the simple, humble stottie cake and prompted within me a desire to rekindle those pleasurable tastes.  That's often the case with things that are part of our everyday lives - we don't really think about them.  In fact we often ignore those mundane, simple pleasures in search of something a little more upmarket or exotic.  The saying 'you don't miss the water til the well runs dry' comes to mind.  I also remembered how when we returned to live in England after having lived in Argentina for 10 years, I realised just how much I had missed having the humble snack of baked beans on toast.  it seems silly really that something so ordinary would be greatly missed.


The other day I heard on a television programme someone saying 'we underestimate normal'.  For a number of years I have taken part in a health study among a million women, receiving questionnaires on a regular basis.  I have recently just posted off to them my latest completed survey.  One of the questions was about everyday living and asked if I was able to wash myself, dress, prepare food, walk unaided, do shopping and so on.  I was happy to answer 'Yes' to all the questions and then I remembered what I had heard on the TV - 'we underestimate normal'.  You would think that to answer 'yes' to such questions would be normal for anyone but for some, these activities of basic everyday living are not something that they are able to do without help.  And I had to admit that I don't always realise that I am fortunate to be able to function quite normally in most things.  When I take longer to clean the house that I used to or find that I cannot carry such heavy bags of shopping and I tend to doze off in the chair while 'watching' the news on TV, I can feel a little sorry for myself so it was a good reminder that actually I have a better quality of life than many and should be grateful for 'normal'.


There is a tendency for this attitude to attach itself to other aspects of life.  Many people love the sensational headlines and it is claimed that this is often what sells newspapers.  Ordinary, good news doesn't get a look in.  It would seem that people are not interested in the ordinary; they get carried away on the wave of sensationalism caused by eye-catching headlines.  Sadly it's a bit like some Christians who crave the excitement of large gatherings and search after the next big thing, as if God is only found in the spectacular.  I am reminded that in the Bible when God called Moses to free the Israelites from Egypt, Moses felt inadequate and questioned how he could do such an enormous task.  God's reply was a question, 'What do you have in your hand?'  He didn't give him a list of necessary equipment that he somehow needed to acquire before he could set off on the momentous journey back to Egypt.  He was to use just what he had, what he used every day in his work, his staff.  God used what Moses already had as part of his daily life and used it to work the miracles before Pharaoh.


When Jesus fed the 5000, he didn't send the disciples off with a long list of things to bring back.  He took what anyone would have on a day out in the country - a packed lunch, nothing spectacular, just two small fish and some bread for a hungry young lad.  What is spectacular about how God works is that He takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary.  He takes the mundane, everyday, nothing special along with ordinary, nothing special people and performs miracles through their ordinary-ness to bless and feed others.  The amazing gifts of the Holy Spirit are wonderful and it is indeed great to experience such gifts and see the wonderful outpourings of God but it would be wrong to think that God only works through the spectacular.  God is in the day-to-day living and works through the ordinary everyday occurrences and speaks to us and through us to others.  It is good to seek spiritual gifts and be part of a big move of God but we must be careful that we don't waste a lot of energy craving after the spectacular in order to find God while ignoring (and sometimes even demeaning) what we already have.  It's a bit like the elder son who returns from his work in the fields and hears what a great time his prodigal brother is having back at the house and he complains to his father.  His father reminds him that everything they were enjoying at that moment had been there all the time if only the elder brother had realised it.  He is already with us in so many ordinary ways if we only stop and look for Him.

Roots and Community

I've been thinking these past few days about our roots and community.   Some friends have been visiting my neck of the woods - the northeast of England, where I was born and lived until my early twenties.  They have been visiting all the touristy places - well why else do you go on holiday?  They went one day to the living open air museum at Beamish.  The man was explaining about the mines and how the coal was retrieved and bagged etc.  Because of the broad Geordie accent particularly of miners (known locally as Pitmatic), there was a misunderstanding in what he said - it made me laugh.  It took my mind back to my childhood as my father was a miner for years until ill health caused through coal dust on the lungs and a serious stroke forced him to retire early.  He died at only 69 years of age.  I remember visiting friends who worked with him down the mine in the small mining village of Backworth and how everyone knew everyone else and the whole community was there for each other.  Those days are long gone - the mines are no longer producing coal and such village life is not so usual any more.

This was reinforced this week as we remembered those who had died in the terrible accidents in the mines of Wales and there were photos of the whole village being out, helping each other in their time of need.  Such community spirit of those by-gone days!  How many of us (and I include myself) know the names of those who live in our street or even a few doors away from us?  What do we know of their struggles or problems?  Sadly these days there seems to be an unwritten code of 'keep yourself to yourself'.  I know that life has changed and we no longer live the way we used to.  Many are very private and don't wish to share things with others.  But it seems a shame that we have lost something of that community spirit in the interests of 'progress'.

We hear of community work and think of projects where people go into communities and carry out activities for the children or elderly in order to give them something to do to occupy them.  I'm not saying this is wrong - it is commendable there are those who are concerned enough to actually do something about it.  But it isn't really being in the community - it's more like visiting the community with our plans to 'do some good' and then going back to our, often more privileged world.  Sadly it's more likely to get a reaction about being do-gooders who haven't really got any idea how the other half live.  

Many groups of Christians are known as Community churches, possibly because they consider themselves to be in and part of the community where they live.  However, many of them go each Sunday and 'commune' together and then go home.  I ask, does meeting together in small groups during the week really make us a community?  When the early Christians met together it was out of a real sense of need for each other's encouragement  in difficult times.  That's why Paul says that we shouldn't stop meeting together - we need each other's support, being a real community.  Community is living alongside each other, knowing what the other is going through because we have also experienced it.  It's not always about coming out with the appropriate verse of scripture or repeating what we feel we ought to say but it's more about just being there, crying together if that is what is needed.  The Lord's Supper shouldn't be about a small wafer or mouthful of bread and a sip of wine but sharing a meal and chatting together, really getting to know each other and being friends, regardless of sexual orientation, religious views, education or social standing.  

I remember many years ago in Buenos Aires being at a meeting with the then Assemblies of God minister Juan Carlos Ortiz and he was telling us that a lady in his church group had gone two consecutive evenings to hear him preach.  He asked her why she had come again and she said that she loved to hear him preach to which he replied, 'You shouldn't be here every night.  If you were here yesterday, today you should be at home inviting your neighbour round for a barbeque.  I don't want to see you at every meeting.  You hear me preach one night and then you go home and live what you've heard.'  Or to put it another way, from a blog I read this week - 'being the church and choosing community is more than small groups on Wednesday nights: community is doing life with the people living next door to you.'  And another quote from the same blog - 'come out of cocoons and commune.' (Taken from Ann Voscamp's blog A Holy Experience)

It's good to remember our roots - it helps us to understand so much more about ourselves.  We may have moved on from those days but it would be a great shame if we lose the real sense of community in the pursuit of progress and modern living.

What a harvest!

I have been inspired this week by two particular blogs.  The first by Sarah who writes about harvest; how she remembers celebrating the harvest festival in her post 'Harvest in a tin' and asks how can we relate to it today?  The second was by a lady called Jamie who considers how we often seem to be thinking that things will be 'Better when'.  We seem to pin our hopes in the future instead of enjoying the present.


It's true, as Sarah says, that most of us who live in towns don't really relate to harvest as being produce that we have nurtured from seed.  How many can truthfully say 'we plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land'?  I know my friends Jo and Ian in Latvia can but most of us reading this won't.  Many have moved away from the traditional celebration with fruit and vegetables displayed on a long table.  In modern times many congregations opt to bring tinned food for the celebration so that it can later be given to food banks and help the homeless and those who are unable to provide for their families.  Financially things are not as we would like and we need to count our pennies more than ever.  We no longer have the luxury of eating out occasionally but on the other hand we have never gone without a meal or needed help from a food bank, not like many others in the UK and in other parts of the world.  And so at this harvest time I thank God for His continual provision.

We are hearing much in the media these days about the National Health Service.  The great thing is that it is free at the point of need.  Ok, you may say that nothing is free; everything must be paid for at some point by someone.  It is true of course that all my working life, I like all other workers in Britain, have put my required share into the system each month.  While I worked I was fortunate in my health so didn't need to use the NHS as much as some people might - although I cannot say that I never went to the doctor's!  But now in my more senior years I do need regular medication to help me live with the physical failings that seem to be part of getting older - and as an OAP my prescriptions are free.  What I need is there when I need it without worrying about how much it's going to cost me.  What a blessing!

The other day while in the garden I saw a beautiful butterfly.  I love butterflies.  I think that most gardeners don't like what they have evolved from - caterpillars.  The caterpillars seem to love to eat everything that we want to eat.  But I'm reminded that the birds also love to eat the caterpillars and nurture their young on such treats.  So as I love butterflies and enjoy having the birds visit my garden, I guess I need to have the caterpillars - as long as they don't eat too much!  To get back to the butterfly I saw the other day - a rare sight now in October - it was just resting on the trunk of a tree, wings open, soaking in the benefits of the autumn sun.  (See photo) Such a sight is priceless.  I don't need a load of money in order to enjoy such a beautiful creature.  I stayed for a few minutes just watching it and realising how little time I just sit and enjoy the blessings of the moment, not worrying about the future or what if ... ... Soak up the pleasure of now!

So although harvest isn't maybe what it used to be, I have been considering all the blessings I do have. 
I am fortunate enough to have a pc and access to the internet in order to shop, browse, learn and communicate with friends and family. 
Harvest time/autumn is a wonderful time of the year bursting with incredible colours, especially in the trees as in this beautiful photo. 
I have two wonderful sons and a very inclusive extended family. 
I woke up this morning grateful that I have another day full of possibilities.  I take my tablets and carry on doing all the things I enjoy doing.  
Things may be better when ... ... as Jamie reminded me but right now I have much to thank God for.  I am taking great pleasure in the now moment - a bountiful harvest of countless blessings.

Pioneers

There is a television advert that talks about doing things differently and uses the example of the man who changed the way athletes do the high jump.  Before they used to jump facing the bar but this man changed it by jumping with his back to the bar and his legs following.  That now is the norm.

Throughout the history of humanity there have been those who have pioneered new ways, thoughts and practices.  Galileo Galilei (known by his first name, Galileo) was a physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher.  He was born in 1564 and died in 1642.  Throughout his life he played an important role in the scientific revolution of his day, improving the telescope and compass among other things.  His improved telescope along with his love of astronomy and his observations of planets and the sun led him to conclude that the earth moved around the sun and not vice versa.  He was condemned for his beliefs and brought before the Inquisition.  The church took verses of Scripture to 'prove' that he was wrong.  Psalm 104:5 states 'the Lord set the earth on its foundations' and Ecclesiastes 1:5 says 'and the sun rises and sets and returns to its place'.  From those verses the church believed that the earth stood in a fixed position and the sun moved around the earth while Galileo was stating the opposite.  In the end he was judged guilty of heresy and kept under house arrest until his death.

In more recent times doctors Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards became well known for their pioneering work into IVF treatment for women who were unable to bear children the natural way.  The first baby to be born in this way was referred to as the first 'test-tube baby' and that was Louise Brown.  This was a ground breaking medical achievement.  But there were critics who raised some ethical questions about surrogate motherhood, 'baby factories' and wondering just where such knowledge would ultimately lead.  The photo is of Dr Steptoe, Louise Brown and her mother and also her own child who was born naturally.  This treatment is nowadays very common and an accepted part of life.

In 1966 the National Association of Food Chains met to discuss the possibility of automated check-out systems.  The scanning systems had been in operation in various forms for nearly 30 years but not on a commercial level on the High Street.  After this meeting, various tests were carried out until on 20th June 1974 a 10 pack of Wrigleys Juicy Fruit gum was scanned at 8.01 am.  This was the very first item to be scanned in this way in a shop and the Universal Product Code was born.  It was ridiculed claiming that there would never be enough for it to be worthwhile.  Some Christians thought that codes hid the number 666 and one TV host called it a 'corporate plot against consumers'.  At the time in the UK the programme Tomorrow's World was shown on TV.  They tried out new gadgets and gave predictions as to how well they might do in the future.  The then presenter Maggie Philbin famously said that she didn't think it would catch on.  How wrong she was!  Almost everything we buy now has a bar code and is scanned at the check-out.

It seems that all who move away from what is considered the norm and offer new ways of thinking and practice, are usually criticised, some persecuted, others questioned, not believed or taken seriously and even ridiculed.  There are many others - Christopher Columbus and his belief that there was land over the ocean, Martin Luther and his struggles against the established church, Lord Shaftesbury and his fight against slavery, the example of Nelson Mandela fighting for equal rights for all the citizens of his country, to mention just a few.  Although they all came across opposition, persecution and ridicule they all held on to what they believed was right and kept on fighting.  So I guess the lesson from these pioneers is to carry on and follow you heart in what you believe no matter what others say or think.  Who knows where it will lead?
 

Adapting to change

We have had a few changes this week.  Over last weekend we learnt that our next door neighbour had moved out.  It was a surprise as no-one seemed to be aware of it until some men were there emptying the house of things that she hadn't wanted to take with her.  She was a single mother who had personal problems and although she had 6 children, she herself was rarely seen outside so it was difficult to really get to know her.  We are now waiting to see who our new neighbours will be and what they are like.  It is a 3 bedroom house so we expect a family with children.  It will be interesting to see if friendships develop at some point in the future.



The other day the man who has helped me with the large back garden for the past couple of years delivered the news that at the end of October, at the end of the season, he will be giving up that particular job as he is training to be a coach driver.  He hopes to start his new job in November.  We have quite a good sized lawn and knowing that he comes regularly and keeps it under control, is a great help and relief.  For the rest I manage to potter about and see to fruit and vegetables and tend the flower beds.  So come the spring, when things begin growing again, I will have to reconsider whether I'll be able to manage it all on my own or look for someone else to help.  Who knows, our new neighbour might be just the person!


Last Saturday my son started a new part-time job - 12 hours a week as a cleaner at an Express branch of a large supermarket.  He works 2 hours a day for 6 days, starting at 5.30 in the morning.  Fortunately it is within a 5 minute walk from our home but it still means a very early start to the day.  My plan was to continue sleeping and get up when he returns but as I am aware of him moving about, I am usually wide awake by the time he goes out at 5.15 am.  I have found it a very good time of the day to read, iron, catch up on Facebook (or my blog) or just think and organise my day.  Yesterday was his day off (although eventually he will get a Sunday off) and it felt as though I had a good lazy start to the day - I slept until 6 am!



Choices that we make for ourselves often means some change in our daily routine.  The thing in all these situations is that sometimes things happen in our lives because of the choices of other people that need some adaptation on our part to the new circumstances.  I have no control over when other people move house or change jobs but their choices can affect me in some way.  Life is continually evolving and we have to sometimes change direction in order to compensate and cope with the change.  This week I also received the latest newsletter from Martin and Gayle Scott.  He was commenting on things that had changed and people with whom he had connected who had since moved to another country.  The comment that caught my attention was - 

Our strong encouragement is ... not to focus so much on what has been but to look to see where and to whom he (God) wants to connect you.

It's such a temptation and pull to stay comfortable and stick with what we're used to.  We're fine just as we are, thank you!  But in life, the reality is that things keep changing and evolving and we have to move and adapt to the changes - whether physical, emotional or spiritual.  Here's to change!

Talk about Church

There has been much discussion about the word 'church' and what exactly we mean by it.  But the other day I got to thinking about the phrase 'doing church'.  Although we say that church is not the building, it does imply the meeting together.  There are those who claim not to 'go to church' as in attending a building.  Instead they meet in houses in small groups.  My question is 'what's the difference?'  It seems to me to be the same thing only in a different venue.  There tends to be some singing/worship, some chatting and some reading and explanation of some verse(s) of Scripture and prayer.  We claim that the small groups meeting in houses is how 'church' began.




Others who have left organised religion sometimes talk of 'doing church'.  This seems to incorporate the occasions when we meet up with someone for coffee and chat, visit someone or organise a meal or get together with some friends (who are often also among 'emerged' Christians).  But using the word 'church' still seems to imply some sort of gathering together, meeting, whether that is in a large congregation in some purpose built building or 2 or 3 sharing coffee.  Again I strain to find the real difference.  With or without the organised setup and music, (somehow, for some, music equates worship and 'feeling' near to God) the idea of assembling, meeting and sharing together is the same.


Jesus teaches that we are temples of the living God.  He lives within us.  The Bible clearly teaches that God does not live in a temple built by humans, no matter what we like to think.  Jesus is referred to as the 'cornerstone' of His temple and we are 'living stones'.  There is nothing there about going to some place.  It's rather about living and being part of His temple.  So maybe we should stop talking about going to church or doing church and start using the phrase being the church.  I love the words of the song Breathe:  'This is the air I breathe, Your holy presence living in me.'  You can find a version of the song here.  Jesus says the Spirit is like the wind blowing where it will.  You can't go to air; it's all around us; how do we 'do' air?; we just breathe it in; it becomes part of us; it makes us live.  And each one who breathes in the living breath of God is another living stone in His temple.  He doesn't put a load of conditions and rules, He wants us to breathe in His presence and be His presence wherever we are. 


We seem to get so hung up about some details of our living in God's family.  There is a danger of focussing so much on one aspect, sometimes the wrong thing.  It's not about taking sides for or against or how we 'do' church.  So much energy is being used up in negative attitudes, searching for a specific verse to prove our own particular standpoint and show that we are right, that we actually miss the point - that God loves us all and wants to be with us and in us.  I believe that God in His graciousness reaches out to all who seek Him, whatever the circumstances.  Going to church?  Doing church?  Maybe it's time to think differently.  We should start changing our whole concept of what church is and how we are church instead of trying to redo it and just bringing about another version of the same thing.  We live church by breathing in His presence whether that is on our own or with others and in His love He meets with us in His temple that He has put within us. 

Honesty

Every other weekend my nephew has the pleasure of having his lovely 3 year old son to stay with him and his mother at their home.  Oliver is a typical 3 year old, full of curiosity and the innocence of a child becoming aware of new experiences daily.  You can almost see his little brain working as he processes new things, growing and learning with each new encounter.  He always enjoys his food as the photo clearly shows - he is in ecstasy enjoying the delights of some chocolate cake.  He especially likes vegetables - not always so common in small children.  His Grandma (my sister) had made a lovely rice pudding to have after dinner.  Oliver tried a spoonful and then just sat looking at it, not wanting to eat any more.  His Dad, Darren, told him, 'well tell Grandma what you want then Oliver', to which he replied, 'I want pudding ... ... a nice one!'  Aahh!!    The honesty of children.  There was no real problem with the rice pudding - the granddaughter enjoyed it and others ate it but Oliver just didn't like it.  I guess that goes for most of life -  we are all so different, some liking some things while others not. 

A day out at the zoo with Grandma.

What I liked about this anecdote when I heard it was the fact that Oliver felt so comfortable and safe in his relationship with his dad and grandma that he didn't have a problem in saying exactly what he wanted.  He wasn't afraid that maybe if he said the wrong thing that he would be told off or punished.  He loves spending time at their home and has no problem when his mother leaves him there.  And yet how often when we talk with Father God do we choose our words carefully; we seem to use a special 'God/prayer' language; some words we wouldn't dream of using, even if we use them frequently in daily conversation with others.  It's as though we feel we need to be on our best behaviour - after all we want to make a good impression and not give God the wrong idea  - as though He didn't already know exactly what we're like.  It really is ok to tell God how we really feel - He's big enough.  He can take it!  When Jesus says we must be as little children, I like to think that includes their openness and honesty.  And there's a lot to be said for being so comfortable and safe in our relationship with Him that saying it as it really is, isn't a problem.

I also saw this picture on a friend's status on Facebook this week.  It was actually an article about a newspaper (not in the UK) saying how it distorts things and ends up telling untruths.  I found it a very powerful illustration of how we can so easily get caught up in one part of our Christian living, focussing on a few, specially chosen verses of the Bible instead of looking at the whole picture.  The danger about homing in on one particular aspect (say sexuality, worship, creation, end times ...) is that we lose sight of the bigger picture of God.  These things have their place but are only part of the big picture.  Again I think it's about being honest to God, ourselves and each other about how we really feel and think and not just what we have been told or feel we ought to comply with in order to fit in with our particular congregation.  I think that feeling comfortable with being really honest also applies to the Christian family we choose to be part of.  Let's not distort the good news of God's gospel by focussing on only one small part of it and maybe giving a totally erroneous idea.

We think that we are teaching our children but actually they are teaching us - quite a lot if we let them.

Departments of Life

The thing about large department stores is that you can do a varied shop all under one roof once you know where the different departments are.  The annoying thing, however, is when some manager decides that it would be better to change things around.  This happens especially in supermarkets.  You go in knowing where you want to head for and when you get there, the thing you want is no longer there - it has been moved!  Aarrgh!!  How often have I spent time just looking for what I'm looking for!  We like to know where everything is - everything has a place.  Parents, especially mothers, know very well the frustrated cries of 'where's my ... ...?' or 'have you seen my ... ...?'.  Some things in life seem best if they are in some sort of organised compartments.  We want to know that when we go and look for something that it will actually be there.

We carry that into other aspects of our lives. We talk about work/home balance.  In our minds we separate things into home, chores, employment, leisure, quality family time etc ... ... and God.  We allot God a space in out busy schedule - usually a Sunday morning.  During the week we try to keep to our carefully programmed schedule so that each department of our lives is maintained and in order.

The trouble is that we cannot do that with God.  It's as though we 'cater' fro Him and invite Him into our weekly 'God space'.  The truth is that it isn't possible for God to fill our 'God space' because He is already everywhere.  We are wrongly urged as children or seeking adults to 'let God into your life' when, as Jesus says, the Kingdom of God is already within us.  We are temples of the Holy Spirit.  The Psalmist reminds us,

Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I run away from where You are?  If I go up to heaven, You are there!  If I make my bed in the place of the dead, You are there!  If I take the wings of the morning or live in the farthest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me and Your right hand will hold me.  (Psalm 139:7-10)

Sometimes we get things totally the wrong way around.  We seem to think of God as part of our consumer lifestyle - an object to be possessed and stored in the right place along with all the other objects.  Some try to keep Him in a 'box' and take Him out when they remember or think of Him.  Some expressions imply that He lives in a particular place - God's house.  He is not an object, even a very treasured object.  He is not confined to one place - He tore down the confines of the curtain in the temple.  He is rather the One who wants to share our lives, every part of our lives, each compartmentalised bit of it.  We do not invite Him into our space but instead God invites us to enjoy living in His presence wherever we are.  I am not closer to God on certain days or in certain places (unlike the old saying that you are closer to God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth) even if that's how I may feel at times from my finite human perspective.  God is everywhere and so I cannot be closer to Him than I am at this moment in time, wherever I happen to be.  So I'm not going to ask Him into my life but rather ask Him to reveal Himself to me each day wherever I am and whatever I'm doing.  He is my constant friend and companion on life's journey.  He is in all and through all, ever present. 

Smiling

There are times when life just seems to get you down; things don't always go the way you'd hoped and so it seems that all you can do is to plod on.  The news this week has had some terrible images from war-torn parts of the world.  The financial situation and lack of proper jobs that give you a decent weekly income don't seem to be improving.  It seems to be a case of 'that's life; get on with it!'  But this week, amidst all the doom and gloom, I have been deliberately looking for situations that have made me smile and thought I would share a few of them via my blog.

My friend Margaret with some of the children she has helped.
Photo taken a couple of years ago.

I have a friend who volunteers with a charity working among the poor in Nicaragua for 8-9 months every year.  She has found a congregation that once a month they do a kind of 'Songs of Praise' service in English.  Recently they sang an old hymn but made a slight mistake in the translation by omitting the last letter of the last word.  They had written, 'Rejoice ye pure in heart, rejoice, give thanks and sin!'  Oops!



'Rubber' Grandma Jo

Another friend this week referred to herself on her blog as 'rubber grandma!'  Apparently the Swedish use this as an expression of endearment about someone whom they accept into their family.  (My friend is not Swedish but English btw)  And she used it in reference to her son's partner's daughter.  I smiled when I read it and tried to visualise a 'Rubber Grandma Jo'  Come to think of it I know a few 'rubber grandmas'.
 
On Tuesday a white-haired old lady (no, not me!) was helped onto the bus by another passenger.  As she sat down she apologised and smiled saying that it was getting a little more difficult as she's in her 90s!  She did use a walking stick and needed a bit of help but, wow!, in conversation she said that she was 98 and still lived alone and came into town unaccompanied.  I must remember her on those days when I feel old and a bit decrepit.

On the news we have had horrific pictures about attacks in Syria but on Wednesday there was a news item about a father who was overcome with emotion when he was reunited with his young son, whom he had thought had been killed in the chemical attack where they lived.  That day at least his tears turned to joy.


We have been enjoying some produce out of our garden this week and the other day I took some blackberries for my sister.  To my surprise (and delight) she shared with me some rainbow trout that she had been given by another friend.  It certainly brought a smile to my face when later I ate the steamed trout and vegetables for my dinner.  Sharing puts a smile on people's faces.  Share a smile if nothing else.

I'll end the smiles by sharing a video that I saw on Facebook just in case you missed it when I posted it on my status.  If you have already seen this (about family pets squeezing into boxes) then you can have another laugh, even if you're not a pet lover.  Click here to watch.  Enjoy and ... ... keep smiling!

The Old and The New

Yesterday, I went, as I do most Fridays, to our local traditional family butcher to buy something for the Sunday roast and meat for next week’s meals.  Unlike supermarkets where the meat is already cut and packaged (usually showing the nice lean bits on the top so you think it’s all like that!) there they have all the meat out on the long cold slabs and they cut off the amount you want.  Some aspects take you back in years as the staff don’t put the prices through a conventional modern checkout type till but they write each item down on a piece of paper and total it up in their heads when you’ve completed your purchase.  They make their own sausages – we particularly like the pork and cranberry ones – and different types of burgers.  They will take the skin off the chicken portions if you ask.  All the staff recognise the regulars when you walk in the shop and they remember what you like and don’t like.  Sounds like how things used to be many years ago.

Haynes Butchers Princes St Yeovil

The interior of Haynes shows it to be one of the most traditional of butchers. The meat hooks are still on the racks on the wall, tiled in white and green many decades ago. There is still a traditional wooden cashier's booth or hut built into the shop. This is the last cashier's booth I know of in any shop, left over from a time when the cashier and the butchery functions were completely separate.

 

 

Before you think I’m just being nostalgic and living in the past and wonder how they are still surviving as a business I must point out that they do sell in pounds or kilos as you wish (by law they have to sell in kilos, of course) and will take payment by credit/debit card.  There are always lots of people in the shop buying their goods.  I think this is partly because you know that you see exactly what you’re buying, the prices are comparable to the supermarkets and you feel that you have received personal attention.  They seem to have got the blend right between the traditional and the new ways – the old and new together.

The Bible often refers to God as God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; three generations; old and new together.  He is Alpha and Omega; beginning and end; first and last; the Ancient of Days yet new every morning; the same yesterday, today and forever.  So it seems that this unchanging God I worship joins the old and new together across the generations, from the dawn of creation until today and blends them together in perfect harmony.  He embraces all – the traditional and the new-fangled, latest fad, the old and the new ways.  His love has a way of encompassing all who come to him, regardless of age or ways of worshipping.  It also reminds me that although in life I have myself changed many things and maybe do things differently now, I must not disregard what has gone before – it has made me the person I am now.  God loved and accepted me before as He does now. 

I think in life we so often ‘throw out the baby with the bathwater’ as the saying goes.  When new or different ways come along we seem to discount anything that has gone before.  It’s like saying some new way is the only right way and everything else is wrong or out-of date.  God accepts all whether young or old using traditional or most recent ways of worship.  His all-encompassing love is for any who comes with honest and open spirit in humility and true worship.      

 

 

 

Paths That Cross On The Journey

This week I had the pleasure of meeting up with a friend I hadn’t seen for quite some time.  We are both products of leaving the organised structure of church and were catching up with what had happened over the past few months since we last met.  We have both had some difficult times and were sharing our experiences.  It is so reassuring when we talk to someone and they grasp just where we’re at on our journey and can relate to the things we are saying.  Inevitably come the questions ‘what if …?’  What if we had taken a different path?  What if we had looked for an easier option?  What if we had seen from the beginning just where the path would take us?  What if ….?  What if …? 

 

We had set out on this adventure with God along the path ahead of us and we thought we saw the goal we were aiming for.  To be honest we didn’t really know what to expect.  We only knew that it would be different.  But then the path took some twists and turns and it seemed at times that we were completely lost.  It was tough to keep going but we saw some unexpected wonders and learned so much along the way.  Our initial goal seems so far away now and out of sight but we know deep inside that we have to keep going.  Maybe what we thought we were aiming for was not the real goal after all.  This is a journey of faith and all we have to do is follow the path that is in front of us.  That’s easy to say!  

 

The challenge really, when you go a different route from the one you’re used to, is the uncertainty of it all.  You know you’re on the right path but the uncertainty comes because of the lack of familiar landmarks or checkpoints.  You can’t settle back and be comfortable, assured of ‘doing the right thing’.  There’s no-one telling you what you should or shouldn’t do, read, watch or think/believe.  There is no structured, organised time for worship or searching the Word.  It just sort of ‘happens’ as you travel.  You are no longer following the crowd without much concentration on your part.  Now you have to pick your own way around and feed yourself and think for yourself.  You have to become more aware of your surroundings, of things that might trip you up, in order to recognise new signs in unexpected places.  But in the process you learn more about listening and can gain a deeper understanding of things that until now have been hidden.  Maybe they weren’t really hidden, it’s just that they never were in the situation or context we were part of. 

 

Each of us is on our own personal journey and the paths we take are often very different.  Occasionally our paths cross and we exchange the joys and trials of our journey.  It is so good to meet up with friends who are also journeying a new path.  Such conversations result in our being more resolute to continue onwards.  We go on our way feeling animated and encouraged as we make new discoveries and different ways of travelling and working out the path God has prepared for us.  And so I continue along this different path God has shown me.  I don’t really know where it will take me.  I just know that God is with me and showing me a little bit at a time and I am happy just to follow along the part that He has shown me for now, learning and seeing what He reveals along the way.    

  

Result!

I don’t always have cereal for breakfast but at the moment if I do, I am enjoying being able to add some mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries and blackberries) freshly picked from the garden, washed and scattered on top.  It is such a joy to be able to go out into the garden and pick something you have grown yourself and make it into a meal.  A number of online friends have been saying the same sort of thing, showing photos of the fruits of their labours and what plans they have for utilizing them.  It always fills me with wonder that such tiny seeds can produce such great produce that feeds our bodies satisfying our hunger.

 

Amazing sugarcraft - a spray of flowers
all made out of icing sugar

People who are creative in craftwork gain the same sense of satisfaction when they finish some project, be it painting, knitting, sewing, baking, making some ornament or any other hobby they love doing.  It’s not just some spare time hobby of course but can be to do with studies and work achievements.  Sometimes many hours of work and great effort are spent in perfecting what we do.  But, oh the joy when we can see the finished article.  Sometimes things don’t always go according to plan and we are disappointed at the results but when it turns out the way we plan, then we are very happy and want to show everyone.  It’s not about the cost or even about the time and effort involved.  It’s something more, beyond words even.  There is a sense of accomplishment and deep happiness when we see our handiwork.

 

With the fruit and vegetables, the obvious words that come to mind are about reaping what we sow and that is true in life also.  But what really has impressed me this week is the deep sense of joy, satisfaction and happiness that comes with it.  When I think how God emptied Himself into human form, giving Himself totally for us, all I want to do is worship Him and give Him joy and pleasure by being what He wants me to be, just as He planned and hoped for me.  His plans for me are ‘plans to prosper (you) and not harm (you), plans to give (you) hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah 29:11)  What response can I give other than worship and praise and bring Him joy?  He gets deep satisfaction when we develop in the way He has planned.  There is great joy in Heaven and that’s the best result of all.

 

 

Just Being Me

Standing at the bus stop the other day I got talking to a lady and of course being British, the topic was the weather.  The hot weather had returned and we were commenting on how some people love it while others struggle.  Personally I don’t mind but realise that as I get older, too much for too long is becoming a little more difficult to cope with.  Some of the neighbours were out in the sun (participating in the pastime of deliberately burning the skin and competing to see who can become the most burnt!) while others avoided it.  On such occasions the words of Noel Coward usually come to my mind – ‘mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.’ 

 

The truth is of course that we are all different.  We like different things and react in different ways.  We are unique; all different one from the other.  Any parent will affirm that no matter how many children they have, no two are alike.  I always comment that my two sons are like chalk and cheese and I’m sure others feel the same about their offspring.  We all have differing tastes in music, reading material, friends, clothes, food … … and the list goes on.  We are constructed mainly the same way – two eyes, two ears, a mouth, a heart, lungs etc. – but are completely different in how that sameness is lived out.  Although we all have the same anatomical make up we all have differing requirements, tastes and tolerance of some foods.

 

The most wonderful thing is that God loves each one of us as we are – unique.  We don’t have to conform to a particular way of doing things in order to be accepted by Him.  He made us all different.  He likes variety.  If you doubt that then just take a look at the world around you.  There are thousands of different species of flowers, animals, insects … … etc.  I am always enthralled by programmes of David Attenborough and always surprised to learn something new or see some new species never filmed before.  Yet each one is important and has a vital role to play in the interdependence of creation

We all have our place and a role to play in the grand scheme of things.  And the wonderful thing is that we don’t have to copy anyone else in order to fulfill our part.  Sadly some people when they join a (church) group change their mode of dress or way of speaking.  It’s as though they become like clones of those around them with the necessity to conform to how the group does things.  God’s truth is that I need to be me because that is who I was created to be.  So many people waste so much effort (and sometimes money) trying to be like other people.  They try to copy their styles and mannerisms.  For some reason they seem to think that if they can be like so-and-so they will be better people, more acceptable, more successful.  The other day I read the words ‘the only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday.’  We used to sing with the children ‘Thank you God for making me me.’  So I’ll just go on just being me and together with God being the best me that I can be.  

  

Weeding Out, Decluttering, Making Room/Space

In May this year I wrote about a small miniature pansy that I discovered hidden among all the weeds that had grown over the winter and the very wet spring.  After I cleared away all the surrounding weeds, you could see just how beautiful this tiny plant was.  (You can see a photo of it here).  Later I carefully dug it up and put it in a part of the small rockery where it had more space and plenty of sunshine.  The other day I took a photograph of it as it is now.  What a difference.  Removing it from the things that were stifling its growth allowed it to flourish and give more flowers than I had hoped.  I also found a couple more plants in similar circumstances that I consequently ‘rescued’ and am pleased that they also have flourished in their new surroundings. 

 

Over this past week we have been doing some more decluttering and recycling things that are no longer in use.  Yesterday we were able to fill a charity bag with unwanted clothes for McMillan charity shop.  On Wednesday we also put out for recycling a load of old magazines, well past their usefulness.  The result is that now we have more room in the wardrobes and there is an empty drawer where the magazines had been kept.  At first glance the idea of getting rid of something or throwing away things may seem on the negative side but actually it turns out to be something very positive.  Turning our backs on something that is no longer helpful or useful can actually be very beneficial.  Sometimes we need to make room, have space to grow and flourish. 

 

The danger of course is that we don’t really like empty spaces.  We try to fill the gap with something.  A friend mentioned the other day that she had been looking forward to her break from her studies over the summer but had filled up the days with so much activity and commitments that she feared she wouldn’t have time to relax and have some free time to herself after all.  I remember that when I retired from work, there was a danger of over committing to other things now I had the time.  It seemed that others also thought that I could be a part of this and that and something else ‘now that you’re retired, you’ve got the time’.  I had to learn to use my time wisely.

 

I used to think (and say) that you can’t do away with something unless you have something better to put in its place (referring particularly to church attendance) but over the years I realise that sometimes God wants us to make the space first and ‘declutter’ our commitments to organised stuff, clear out our diaries and just have space and time with Him in order to flourish.  You can’t always see how this will happen until you actually take the first step.  There is a danger of wanting to fill the gap that is left with all sorts of new ideas – we’ve got to do something, anything rather than nothing.  We are tempted to re-invent the gathering and do the same things but in a different way when actually we shouldn’t be doing anything.  What God is trying to do is give us more space, more time just to be with Him without any other paraphernalia.  To not be doing anything is not necessarily a waste of time.  It can actually be a very productive time when things happen to us rather than us trying to make them happen.  We give God a chance to do what He wants in us without us trying to control and manipulate what is going on.  Just let Him have His way in the stillness.  'Be still and know that I am God.'