1 December 2013

a letter to fill you in



Hello

I’ve not written on the blog in a while, save for a few short offerings in the last couple of months. Posting has dwindled gradually since I went back to work full time in May this year. There are plenty of half-written snippets littering folders in MS Word, considerably more thoughts than that have been chewed over in my mind and not committed to being thrashed out via qwerty keyboard. 

Some appear here..


a reflection on a reflection

Objects are reflected beautifully on water when it is calm and still. As soon as there is any wind the reflection becomes distorted and the reflection less recognisable. Like those rounds on game-shows, Guess the Object, how much spinning or clarity do you need before your brain tells you it is identifiable? 

(Or to flip it on its head “do not adjust your horizontal” was the Scotsman’s comment on a friend’s impressively busy patterned tights).





I took this photo during a walk at Douglas Water, Lanarkshire and for a short time the water reflected beautifully. On the return trip the wind had picked up a little so all the images on the lake were impressionistic and indistinct.

I was puzzling on the words of a hymn I used to sing in childhood ‘It is a thing most wonderful’. These lines specifically:

It is most wonderful to know
His love for me so free and sure;
But ’tis more wonderful to see
My love for Him so faint and poor

Not many conclusions, more indicative of my recent state of mind than anything.

And a blog is always incomplete without a pretty picture.


****

deck the halls

It is December now and we have decked the halls with... boxes. Actually during the last month the hall has decked itself with filled boxes, the lounge with empty boxes waiting to be filled and things in boxes waiting to be labelled.




The sign outside the house says ‘let’. We are still waiting to move and a number of things beyond control have slowed down the buying of a place completely of our own, for the very first time.

There have been plenty of prayers of the ‘God are You deaf?’ variety. Doesn’t He know that if this one will just get answered snappish we can move ON? That we have been in limbo for nearly three years and that hanging on isn’t much fun any more.


Even defective senses can sometimes lead to an unexpected opening.

This week we were at a training session for something at church and there was one of those ‘crowdbreaker’ moments to make us talk to someone we didn’t know (cue introvert awkwardness.) 

We had to think of a number that was important to us to share and explain to the unknown person. As usual in these circumstances due to an early morning weekend start (decreased brain function) and a lack of thinking time, at the ‘go’ instruction I was still fumbling for a number and an intelligent reason. I quickly decided on 20 the date of my mother’s birthday.

I didn’t know the lady I spoke to but I recognised her as the person who had prayed for me in a healing service a few weeks before. She had picked up on a physical manifestation of something that has been stirred up emotionally again of late. We got chatting and it turns out that 20 was a gateway for us both to open up about bereavement.

Even clutching at straws can open up meaningful dialogue.


And I’m continually thankful that God delights in surprising us when we least expect it.



Linking up with Ruth & Sabrina at #LettersTo (at Sabrina's place this week)








3 comments:

  1. Oooh, the crowdbreaker moment - cringe! As awkward as those moments feel, you just never can tell who might be sitting near you. It's wonderful to hear of your delightful suprise, and how something as simple as a number in common can open two (practically) strangers up to one another :)
    Thanks so much for joining us again :) xx

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  2. Surprising us when we least expect it - yes. I love those moments of symmetry, little things that link up to get a message across to me just because God knows how my mind works... those times make my soul stand a little taller as I realise that He has spoken. I'm glad you had your '20' conversation!
    Also I know exactly what you mean about the great big obvious prayers that you think God would just sort out and get out of the way - and then He doesn't. No idea what that's all about.
    Thanks for a lovely post full of food for thought. x

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  3. Beautiful photo and I think the boxes look quite arty ;-) I know that God are you deaf feeling very well - it would be wonderful to know what's going on behind the scenes sometimes. Really love that your were able to connect with this woman, even like you say, clutching at straws. I'm glad you were able to have a meaningful conversation - those moments have so much potential for awkwardness! Really glad you joined us with this post, have missed your words. Lots of love, Ruth

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