Bailey of Brisbane

 

One of the joys of being in Brisbane was getting to know Bailey, the long-legged mutt, part Australian cattle dog, who is very much part of the family.

After a few days of his getting used to our being there, he began to include me in his affections, nuzzling gently under my arm from behind and longing to give me a sloppy kiss (I suspect in hopes there might remain traces of something yummy I’d just eaten…).

As we start out on our journey through 2025, my desire is to rededicate my life to the Lord, to set aside and prioritise time just sitting with him. Like Bailey greeting those he loves and trusts, I want to nuzzle in to the Lord, resting in the shadow of his loving ‘wings’ and even daring a sloppy kiss, in anticipation of tasting something utterly sublime on the face of God: the taste of unconditional love.

May I resist the urgent for the important, disdaining distractions in order to marinate in the love of our Saviour and friend

 

From Tropics to Snow

 

From a tropical rainforest bubbling with exotic birdsong, insect hums and buzzes, and heat, into a silent winter landscape white and clear and fresh and popping with hungry birds taking turns at the bird feeders: half a world away in the space of twenty-four hours.

We were speaking with one of the air crew on the flight to Dubai. On learning he was Egyptian, Don used his Egyptian words still remembered from half a century ago. The steward was blown away and immediately ordered a couple of glasses of fizz, some pistachio and date pastries and delectable chocolates (no doubt ordinary fare in first class…). He shared that he lives with his family in Dubai: a clear case of taking someone from their home country, but that not equating with removing the home country from the person’s heart.

Google has just informed me that over the last year, I travelled round the globe one and a half times. I am sorry for the carbon footprint I have left, but grateful for the opportunities to be with those so dear to me.

It’s natural to be distracted by the geography in which I and my loved ones live, but having just listened to a remarkable talk by Tim Mackie ( https://youtu.be/HQIH-WfmZms?si=oXMFILPi7vASqe4J ), as a Jesus-follower my resolution for the rest of my life is to settle into the eternal geography of the one who is with, and in, all things, and to live every moment with my footprint in Paradise. The reality is as Paul wrote, that in Jesus I live and move and have my being.

May this be a new year of spiritual awakening and growth, of a deeper awareness of the reality in which I live. For those others who have listened to the Tim Mackie talk, I want the huckleberries to be staining my teeth, too …