Jesus is an inviter, a beckoner.
He stands, with arms wide open,
waiting for us to approach him.
He is not a 'tub-thumper', an exhorter.
he does not 'finger-wag' us into 'salvation'.
Listen to him saying, over and over again,
"Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest!!"
Then, go to him.
You WILL be comforted,
(even if it is with a crook and a staff!
He knows that sometimes that's just what we need.)
(The crook is to rescue us when we have gone astray,
to pull us out of the messes and pits of life into which we can so easily fall
and the staff is to lead us in the right direction when we are lost.)
Above all, DO NOT BE AFRAID!!
Sunday, 5 March 2017
Friday, 3 March 2017
About the truth which surrounds us
Truth is all around us,
suspended on the airwaves.
If only we could reach out and touch it,
it would enter our hearts and minds
and connect us to the infinity of God.
suspended on the airwaves.
If only we could reach out and touch it,
it would enter our hearts and minds
and connect us to the infinity of God.
Thursday, 2 March 2017
Sunday, 26 February 2017
Another 'going with God' thought
If we travel on God's train,
we will always be in (God's) good time.
we will always be in (God's) good time.
Saturday, 25 February 2017
About being seriously ill in hospital
This post was written on 25.2.17 and has lain in draft ever since. I've read it through and think it's more or less ok to post, so better late than never! Hopefully, it might be food for thought for others who find themselves in similar situations.
In the early hours of Sunday, 5th Feb, 2017, having had an excruciating pain under my right ribs, a 111 call and the lovely lady's call to paramedics brought me to hospital where I was found to have 'severe pneumonia', sepsis and jaundice and, what I would now call a high level of 'mental and emotional strain'.
On Wednesday afternoon, 15th Feb, I came home having had 11 days of the most amazing treatment and care from the (approximately 12) doctors, nurses and caring staff of the Royal Stoke hospital. Rather like the 'tombstone' joke (The inscription reads, "I told you I was ill), I actually was ill. It has taught me a great lesson.
On the very first day, as I lay in A and E, which was an absolutely marvellous experience for me, the so-called infamous 'trolleys' being, surprise, surprise, nothing like Tesco trolleys, but actually, perfectly comfortable padded black trolley/beds; the lovely junior doctor, Tiffany, rushing about finding test results and the like, coming back with the senior Dr, putting me in the picture, I knew that everything that had caused me this stress had to go.
In as far as it lay in my power to do so, I decided that I would never allow anything to put my health in such jeopardy again. The 'anythings' were mostly voluntary 'good works' but when body, mind, emotions and God finally get through, they tell us when enough is enough and that there comes a time when we have to sort out our priorities, and that is what I did; all that has gone.
As I lay there, thinking these thoughts, it came to me that what I've always wanted to do is write and that's what I'm now free to do. I haven't been up to it until today but here I am now, writing in the daytime and not, as usual, when I've had to snatch a late half-hour; so hopefully, this is the beginning of the rest of my life!! I wrote some things in hospital and when the energy returns, I'll try to write them as posts.
PS The effort to do as I hoped above is still a work in progress because life does get in the way of our best intentions and resolutions all the time but at least we can all keep trying.
In the early hours of Sunday, 5th Feb, 2017, having had an excruciating pain under my right ribs, a 111 call and the lovely lady's call to paramedics brought me to hospital where I was found to have 'severe pneumonia', sepsis and jaundice and, what I would now call a high level of 'mental and emotional strain'.
On Wednesday afternoon, 15th Feb, I came home having had 11 days of the most amazing treatment and care from the (approximately 12) doctors, nurses and caring staff of the Royal Stoke hospital. Rather like the 'tombstone' joke (The inscription reads, "I told you I was ill), I actually was ill. It has taught me a great lesson.
On the very first day, as I lay in A and E, which was an absolutely marvellous experience for me, the so-called infamous 'trolleys' being, surprise, surprise, nothing like Tesco trolleys, but actually, perfectly comfortable padded black trolley/beds; the lovely junior doctor, Tiffany, rushing about finding test results and the like, coming back with the senior Dr, putting me in the picture, I knew that everything that had caused me this stress had to go.
In as far as it lay in my power to do so, I decided that I would never allow anything to put my health in such jeopardy again. The 'anythings' were mostly voluntary 'good works' but when body, mind, emotions and God finally get through, they tell us when enough is enough and that there comes a time when we have to sort out our priorities, and that is what I did; all that has gone.
As I lay there, thinking these thoughts, it came to me that what I've always wanted to do is write and that's what I'm now free to do. I haven't been up to it until today but here I am now, writing in the daytime and not, as usual, when I've had to snatch a late half-hour; so hopefully, this is the beginning of the rest of my life!! I wrote some things in hospital and when the energy returns, I'll try to write them as posts.
PS The effort to do as I hoped above is still a work in progress because life does get in the way of our best intentions and resolutions all the time but at least we can all keep trying.
Tuesday, 17 January 2017
An invitation from Jesus to you
"Behold, I stand at the (your) door and knock:
if anyone (you) hears (hear) my voice and opens his (open your) door to me,
I will enter in and dine with him (you),
and he (you) with me. (Revelation 3:20)
This invitation is deeply connected with the vivid painting by Holman Hunt, called, "The Light of the World" which depicts Jesus knocking on a door. The key point to notice is the lack of a handle on the outside. The meaning is that Jesus does not impose himself on us. He knocks. If we wish him to enter, we have to 'open the door to him' from the inside.
These are my recent reflections.
Jesus doesn't say he will come in and 'visit' us! He says he will dine with us. He brings no food with him. He will share our food, however poor or rich it may be. He will take us as he finds us. He will share our lives just as they are. We don't have to put on a show for him or be anything other than who we really are. In fact, it wouldn't work if we received him in any other way.
All he brings is a lamp - and himself. If we allow him to enter, that lamp will illuminate our lives forever. The person holding the lamp will always be at our side, always sharing our meals, always picking us up when we fall, always sending his spirit to comfort and console us, his angels to guard and guide us, always leading us towards his and our loving Father in heaven.
Why wouldn't we open that door if we really knew this truth.
if anyone (you) hears (hear) my voice and opens his (open your) door to me,
I will enter in and dine with him (you),
and he (you) with me. (Revelation 3:20)
This invitation is deeply connected with the vivid painting by Holman Hunt, called, "The Light of the World" which depicts Jesus knocking on a door. The key point to notice is the lack of a handle on the outside. The meaning is that Jesus does not impose himself on us. He knocks. If we wish him to enter, we have to 'open the door to him' from the inside.
These are my recent reflections.
Jesus doesn't say he will come in and 'visit' us! He says he will dine with us. He brings no food with him. He will share our food, however poor or rich it may be. He will take us as he finds us. He will share our lives just as they are. We don't have to put on a show for him or be anything other than who we really are. In fact, it wouldn't work if we received him in any other way.
All he brings is a lamp - and himself. If we allow him to enter, that lamp will illuminate our lives forever. The person holding the lamp will always be at our side, always sharing our meals, always picking us up when we fall, always sending his spirit to comfort and console us, his angels to guard and guide us, always leading us towards his and our loving Father in heaven.
Why wouldn't we open that door if we really knew this truth.
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