Expectation

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Just in from cutting grass and trimming and pulling weeds. The grass is in flower; I am allergic to grass and dust. Therefore I sit here expecting an eruption of hay fever sometime this evening. 

But maybe it won’t happen. Maybe I’ve outgrown the allergy. Maybe the pollen will have blown in a different direction rather than up my nose. There may be no catastrophic result from this evening’s exertion.

It’s easy to expect the worst. Sitting here awaiting the outcome of the referendum, it’s easy to imagine that all sorts of negative things might result when the vote is counted. Uncertainty and instability or even civil unrest. 

But I am a Christian, and my hope is in the name of the Lord, and therefore I am praying and trusting that whatever the outcome, it will be intertwined with God’s glory. I pray for forgiveness and understanding, unity and cohesiveness as we work our future out together, however it looks. It behoves every Christian to be diligent in prayer.

Perhaps over the next few days my blogs won’t be inspired by nature, but may be inspired by looking for the glory of God emerging in a thousand small ways. To God be the glory, whatever the outcome. May his kingdom come, and his will be done, here in the UK and in Europe. Amen.

Hay Fever

The sun comes out. The air is dry. The pollen rises. And ... aachooo!

Not everyone sneezes, snorts, wheezes, and wipes runny eyes. Some people seem immune from the irritation of the pollen.

Hay fever affects so many folks, though, and different pollens are the triggers for different noses. Mine is particularly sensitive to grass. So in this season of flowering grass, my nose tickles and sometimes sneezes burst out uncontrollably. Until I take a pill.

Irritants abound in this world. Jesus said, 'In this world you will have trouble.' We probably didn't need to be told that. But we do need the reassurance of his following statement. 'Take heart, for I have over come the world.'

Take heart. Whatever irritant is affecting your peace today, take heart and trust in Jesus. Try to see the bigger picture. One of my late Dad's favourite reassurances was, 'This too shall pass', and true enough, the grass will finish its flowering and my nose will calm down, and whatever irritant is affecting your life right now will pass and things will calm down.

I can take a pill for my sneezing. There are no pills for most irritants, but there is Jesus. I don't mean that whatever the irritant, we just have to put up with it and trust Jesus to help us with that, because sometimes we need to actually remove ourselves from the proximity of the irritant. There may be people or situations who create so much disturbance that they just need to be avoided.

But some irritants actually enable growth. Look at the oyster. A grain of sand sneaks inside and really irritates the oyster, so it begins to secrete whatever it is that makes a lovely pearl. I don't suppose the pearl is made without real discomfort and maybe pain for the oyster.

May all your irritants today result in pearls, as you allow Jesus to encase them in his love and compassion.