Hello Faith Pals,
I hope you have been getting some sun!
Two quotes for you today:
‘There are two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.’-Albert Einstein.
Dear Albert-made me think of a poster we have on one of our walls at home:
‘Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love.’ -Albert Einstein.
(a great one to quote at weddings!)
But the other quote is:
‘Write your hurts in sand.
Carve your blessings in stone.'(Anon)
I have included a short reflection for you to mull over during the week.
Blessings and love,
Barbara
In my previous parish, an elderly member of the congregation showed me an ancient exercise book that was filled with poems and reflections. The poems were written in beautiful penmanship, by her older cousin. This is one of them:
Let’s not go on strike!
‘It’s just a good thing God above has never gone on strike,
because he wasn’t treated fair or things he didn’t like.
If he had once sat down and said “That’s it-I’m through,
I’ve had enough of those on earth so this is what I’ll do.
I’ll give my orders to the sun- cut off your heat supply,
and to the moon-give no more light, and run the oceans dry.
Then just to really make it tough and put the pressure on,
turn off the air and oxygen, till every breath is gone.”
And surely he’d be justified if fairness was the game,
for no one has been more abused or treated with disdain, than God.
And yet he carries on supplying you and me
with all the favours of his grace in everything for free.
Men say they want a better deal and so on strike they go,
but what a deal we’re given, God to whom all things we owe.
We don’t care whom we hurt or harm to gain the things we like,
But what a mess we’d all be in if God should go on strike.’
This made me wonder about ourselves, and the way we live our lives.
What if our faith went on strike?
What if our smiles went on strike?
What if our volunteer work went on strike?
What if our compassion went on strike?
What if love went on strike?
As Christians, we are not to become bored, blasé, or cynical. We are to hold fast to that which is true, to persevere. We are not to become jaded, or fed up with our God-given lives.
‘Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.’(2 Thessalonians 3: 13)
‘…hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.’(Romans 5:5)
-Rev Barbara Allen
