A Nest of Vipers

 

It resembled a nest of multi-coloured vipers.

The collection of neckties lay in a tangle on the end of the bed. Don had moved them from the now disused trouser press, which is part of the on-going decluttering operation. The ties, obviously, were part of that operation. Who wears neckties these days, except to funerals?

Overnight, some slipped onto the floor, leaving a pile of black fibres resembling dirt. Where did those come from? On further inspection, he discovered his Morrison tartan wool tie had been thoroughly munched by invading moths. None of the silk or polyester ties had been touched.

Jesus warned about accumulating things which rust and moths will destroy. Things of value, hoarded, become worthless.

The enemy’s attacks are precisely aimed at those things we treasure most. We need to be alert and active in prayer. Above all, we are advised in Proverbs 4, guard your heart – your thoughts – because out of it springs your whole life. Your heart is the wellspring of life. Your thoughts determine your actions and words.

Your heart is the tartan tie the moths of life have a voracious appetite for. Today I ensure I have the breastplate of the righteousness of Jesus and the helmet of his salvation firmly fastened, so that I can recognise attacks when they come and repel them in the name of Jesus. May my thoughts and feelings, the wellspring of life, never be soured by pride, greed, or any of the other temptations to which I am vulnerable.

Lord, rid my mind of tangled thoughts which obscure the truth, and fill my heart and mind today with love, joy, mercy, hope and peace as I live the one precious life you have so graciously given me. Thank you, Jesus, for your awesome power and love.  

Spread love like a wildfire

A haze hung over the fields; a smell of burning met my nostrils. As the day wore on, the smoke thickened and the sun turned red.

Eighty miles away, wildfires tore through a national park. Strong winds whipped up the fire and blew the smoke and smells our way.

What happens in one part of the world has surprisingly far-reaching repercussions.

It’s not just bad things that have wide-ranging consequences. A kind word, a friendly text, a little money, a helping hand: Jesus fed thousands on the gift of one little boy’s lunch.

Every day offers fresh opportunities to share the love and peace of God in creative ways.

God knows how badly this world needs his love and peace, and he’s counting on us to share it. 

Out of the stillness

 

The scruffy wee robin perched on the chair back, tilting her head this way and that. She flitted onto the shaky wooden bannister of the children’s playhouse. Her head continued to incline, first one way, then another.

We thought she was interacting with us. But no. She swooped down, onto the grass lying in the shade of the canopy, and with her beak, flicked up an enormous worm.

For the next few minutes, we watched as she seemed to flick it around. It looked far too big for her to eat, but perhaps she ate it one bite at a time. She didn’t swallow it in one giant gulp.

Even in the pressure of having to eat her body-weight (or something like that) every day, she knew the value of stillness. Of observation. Of expectation even. And she was rewarded with a generous meal.

I remember the title of a book: Too busy not to pray. May I live by that maxim, Lord, aware that it’s in the quiet, reflective moments that I am fed the most nourishing, life-sustaining truths.

Speckled with Golden Moments

 

As the blessed warmth of a summer’s day retreats into the cool of a long Scottish evening, the glorious song of the blackbird rises in what sounds like joyful praise. A golden moment. Several golden moments, many summer evenings. God is good.

Today may appear to have a stormy sky, a backdrop of bother or stress, but even on such a day there will be golden moments, gifts from our Creator God who delights to bless us with reminders that we are loved lavishly, beyond common sense, by the One who knows us inside and out.

However the day pans out, be there airport delays, unexpected news, or difficult relationships, look out for the golden moments. He is not far away. He is with us wherever we go.

Hallelujah! Have a great day, speckled with golden moments.

Goldfinch amongst the Weeds

 

We stood at a bedroom window, looking out at the vegetable garden beyond. In the foreground, between the blackcurrant bush and the plum tree, weeds abound. Some are long grasses, but others are the type which poke a yellow flower skyward, which then matures into feathery white fluff, similar to a dandelion flower.

We agreed: every day each one of us looks out that window and thinks, ‘I’ve got to get out there and yank those weeds out.’

Yesterday, though, as we voiced that thought to each other, suddenly a glorious goldfinch landed lightly on a golden twig of weed, and began feeding on the seeds inside those feathery pods, discarding the gossamer down this way and that.

Oh, we agreed, surprised and delighted that our neglectful gardening resulted in a meal for a beautiful bird. The weeds will stay.

As a Christian, I try to live as Jesus lived, observant, responsive, compassionate and generous. I don’t always succeed. There are weeds in my patch, I know.

But I am thinking of the advice Jesus gave in one of his parables, to leave the weeds among the tares lest in yanking out the bad ones, the good ones came out inadvertently.

I am not saying we should leave our sins to flower and not examine ourselves daily with the Holy Spirit so that we can repent and cease to sin in that way. But perhaps instead of beating ourselves up over those besetting sins that just keep sprouting, we might entrust them to Jesus to turn them into a meal that will feed the faith of someone else.

‘All things work to good for those who love God.’

Today I offer myself, the whole garden, weeds and all, to the One who can bring beauty out of ashes.

Blessed Interruptions

 

A car flashed past the window where I sat working on my laptop.

‘Somebody’s here!’ I called out to Don, upstairs, hoping he would pop down and handle the interruption.

No sound of movement.

The doorbell rang twice, loud and insistent. I sighed.

‘Hello,’ Oleksi greeted me. A new neighbour who has moved in to the area. ‘Is it a good time for me to strim the grass round the side?’

‘Oh, yes,’ I enthused, suddenly grateful for the interruption from this very kind and generous new friend. The grass is as high as an elephant’s thigh, and I long to see it trimmed and neat.

Then Don appeared and out they went to discuss. Soon the sound of a strimmer buzzed loud; joyfully, I sat back down at the laptop.

Lord, how often do I miss your blessings, sidestepping interruptions which are actually gifts sent from you? Forgive me for being so myopic, so focused on my own self-importance and feelings that the to-do list is long and demanding that I miss the gentle interruptions which come with grace and blessing.

May you bless anyone who brings God-ordained interruptions to me today. May I greet those interruptions with expectation and joy, curious to see what you have for me. And may I have the gift of discernment to recognise when an interruption is nothing more than a distraction. I know that not every interruption is from you.

Be still. Peace.

 

Connections.

Relationships.

Details.

I was given a tiny gift yesterday. A gift which will keep on giving, because it is a gift of love, earthed in Jesus. Hand-made in love, rich in detail: tiny squiggles and drawings reminiscent of my home, my prayer window, my relationship with Jesus. And hers – the giver’s.

The words she printed are from Psalm 63, the psalm of comfort and strength on which I relied after my sister Judy died, 40 years ago. Elaine remembered – or the Lord reminded her.

Be still. Summer is a season of busy activity. Bees buzzing. Flowers opening. Fruits and vegetables ripening. People travelling. Going places. Doing things.

In the midst of it all, Jesus invites us. Be still.

Be still and know.

Be still and know that I am God.

He loves us in our postures of relaxation. Of exhaustion. Of rest.

He doesn’t say, be busy.

He says, Be still.

May your Monday be fashioned with moments of meditative calm and peace. May you sit in his presence, and know that He is God.

Faithful, full of grace and truth and love.

Peace.