Prayer

A flash of movement on an upper branch of the rowan tree drew my attention. A woodpecker hammered away at the wood, hoping to find nourishment. Suddenly he lifted off and flew to the bird-feeder, where there were some easy pickings.

Tried my new bread-maker yesterday, a thoughtful Christmas gift. I had to breathe deep to read the directions, do all the prep, and then struggled a bit with the electronic controls, which failed to respond to my finger’s pressure until suddenly they did. I’m sure I’ll figure that out.

The bread exuded a gloriously delicious smell all afternoon and finally pinged to indicate it was finished. Wholewheat bread: I knew it is harder to get it to rise but I thought that this machine would be the panacea, so I was disappointed with the result. Tastes fine, but next time I’ll make a large rather than medium loaf, maybe mixing the flours and hope it produces a bigger loaf.

The temptation is to fly off to the supermarket and buy what’s on the shelf, full of additives and expensive though it is. I will continue to experiment with this bread-maker, though, hoping to figure out the best way to get the result I’m expecting.

Spiritually, it’s tempting to live off the sound-bites of theologians and writers who can word things so cleverly and meaningfully. But the Lord knows what I need at this moment, and it’s as I hang with him that I receive the real food to carry me through the day. It’s called prayer, but don’t let the word put you off.

Backpacks and Dodgy Knees

Backpacks and sleeping bags at the ready. Wardrobe carefully thought out. Prayerful approach to pilgrimage. Looking good to go … except …

Bodies aren’t co-operating. Colds and coughs that have lingered for weeks and refuse to shift. Now a dodgy knee. Physio tomorrow. Help!

Preparation is everything, and it’s easy to overlook a part of the prep which turns out to be critical.

Paul advises we train ourselves spiritually, that we are well-prepped for eternity. It’s easy to overlook some things which turn out to be critical.

One Poplar Down

The poplar was older than my two younger sons. It was planted at the same time as its neighbours, but it shot to a great height quickly. Twice over the years, the top has cracked and broken off, flying into the telephone line and bringing it down. It could have been worse.

Today that poplar went down in a matter of minutes. A man with knowledge and experience and a chainsaw drove it down into the field, and then cut it into manageable logs for the fire for the foreseeable future.

The roots of that poplar have dibbled the drive so that now it needs to be repaved.

That poplar was a beautiful tree. I always enjoyed the way the new spring leaves turned in the light, a sight I will not see again. 

But it had two major flaws. It was weak above ground, where it could be seen, because it shot to great height without allowing time to bulk out some strength. It was weak below ground, its shallow roots suggesting that in a major storm, they might just give way altogether.

Spiritually it’s good to take time feeding on God and growing slowly and steadily, allowing a deep tap root connected to Jesus to securely anchor me.