Pruned and Prolific

I spent some time weeding and pruning the roses yesterday. I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I tried to cut back the stems which were twisted closely together, to allow fresh air to circulate in the middle of the bushes particularly. Seems like a good idea.

Our Father the gardener does know what he’s doing, thankfully. As we trust in him, he will use Covid-19 to prune us so that we can bloom profusely, form good fruit for others and give off the fragrance of Jesus. He is the God of the impossible, who can bring good out of the most desperate situations. This is a time to draw near to him and trust.

As we walk (alone) through these challenging times, we can trust him that in fact, we are not walking alone at all. He is with us.

Slides and Pits

Not every pit is a miry one. Some are just plain fun, especially with a special friend.

Some, of course, are no fun at all. Those are best endured with the companionship of a special friend.

Some downward slides in life are exhilarating serotonin hits. Especially when shared with a special person.

Some, of course, leech every ounce of serotonin from your system and leave you weak. They, too, are best shared with a loved one.

Jesus said he would always be with us. He’s with us in the miry pit and on the shocking slide. He’s also with us in the ball pit and on the joyous chute.

Sharing the Journey

We read this morning the story of a couple of Jesus’ friends who were walking back to their village, Emmaus, on the Sunday evening after Jesus was crucified. Dejected and grieving, they trudged along, sharing their sorrow and speculating as to what had happened to Jesus’ body. 

Had it been stolen by the Jewish priests? Taken away by the Romans? Or, as the women insisted, had Jesus really risen from the dead?

Suddenly they were aware that someone else was walking with them, someone who feigned ignorance of these events. He asked them what they were talking about and they were shocked he hadn’t heard. Obviously this situation was the talk of Jerusalem. Where had this guy been, they wondered, not to have heard about it?

With a short word of frustration at their ignorance of Scripture, this traveller then began to cite prophecies from what we call the Old Testament which foretold all these events and linked them to the coming and person of the Messiah. The two disciples listened, and invited him in to share supper and stay the night as it was dark. 

When he broke the bread, Jesus’ identity was recognised and then he disappeared.

How aware am I of Jesus’ companionship on my journey day by day? I may not be going very far, may not be doing anything very significant, but Jesus is with me. His promise is that he will never leave us so he walks alongside, listening to our conversations, banal and silly or deep and profound. Do we recognise his voice as he suggests things to us? Do we respond to those suggestions? Do our hearts burn inside us as the disciples’ realized theirs had? 

I have been doing housework and have a small hill of ironing awaiting my attention later on. The sun is out and the seedlings from the garden centre are root-bound and begging to be released into the soil.  I also have a couple of pieces of writing to try to finish today. 

It is the writing where I really crave divine inspiration, but maybe I need to train my ear for that gentle whisper while I tackle the sheets (ugh!) and plant out the pansies.

He walks with me today, and he walks with you. Are you aware of his presence?