I'll do it my way.

Jesus asked the man "Do you want to be made well?" The man did not answer the question, instead he gave the reason why he did not get into the pool. Nothing at all to do with the question Jesus had asked him.
The man was blaming the world around him, or rather the lack of helpful companions for his reason for not getting into the pool. It was somebody else's fault that he did not walk. He did not even address the question of whether he really wanted to be well. If he was well he might have to be fully responsible for himself, he might have to work, he could not rely on his disability for his inability to fend for himself.
How often do I make an excuse without addressing the underlying reason for my current state? How often do I leave Jesus out of the equation? How often do I ask him to help me into the water without expecting him to heal me in his own way? How often do I tell him what I want him to do? All I have is a stationary view from the poolside, he is the one walking around who can see the whole picture.

good wine

We are in the midst of the season of excess. The fridge is overflowing with scraps. The massacred  turkey and remains of the turkey curry, a half used jar of mincemeat. There is still plenty of food to be eaten. We hoard food at Christmas as if the shops still close for a week though life has changed. One of our village shops is open normal hours on Christmas Day - 7 30 am until 10 pm. But still I bought with a fear at the back of my mind that we might run out of food or drink. It is even worse when one gives a party and is not sure how many people will arrive, you do not know their appetites. The 'will there be enoughs' is a real fear.
Jesus went to a party where the calculations were wrong. Not wrong that they had so much food left that they did not know which shelter to take the left overs to. They ran out of wine, and at a wedding. How embarrassing. Jesus' mother came to the rescue. "Fix it" she whispered. Typical son answer "Not ready" Why do they never give a straight answer? I wonder how many times Jesus had "fixed it" at home? He did now too. he got some wine and good wine too.
The man in charge of the party had got it wrong and Jesus provided the best wine ever tasted in place of an empty jar. I find it a great relief that Jesus can take my embarrassing situations and make some good wine from them.

Sore

Sore nipples. It was winter, January. There was snow on the ground. One of the dogs, Bongo, had to have his cast off as he had a broken foot (another story). A friend was coming to lunch. The old car decided that this was the day to take to its deathbed.  David came home frozen after trying to sort out the dog and the car. My nipples were sore and the baby hungry. I was the sole solution for the hunger. I had to overcome the pain and feed the babe. I still remember the pain, I still remember the toothless grin looking up at me as Matthew took a rest from his guzzling. I still remember Matthew though he is no more. A mother does not forget her baby.
God remembers each one of us more than that.

"In Bruges"

Judas left to go to the Jewish leaders. He was going to betray Jesus. Jesus knew what was going to happen and his comment was "Now the Son of Man has been glorified". He knew that the next step would be a mock trial culminating his cries for his blood. Cries that would be conceded to by the Roman authorities. Crucifixion  would be the result. Crucifixion, the lowest of the low in methods of capital punishment was good enough for our God.
Four letter words, colloquial language for excretion keep coming to mind. It happens. Jesus saw the whole picture and was able to see that the end was Glory to God. We only see a small fraction of the picture.

Yesterday we went to Bruges, saw a few Old Masters. We did not see them as the artist saw them. The paintings had experienced the effects of life. We do not see our life in the same way as our Creator does. He sees the whole picture in all its newly painted glory.


Picture
Crucifixion (1626); Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk, Brugge, Belgium
Anthony van Dyck 


This work is in the public domain in the United States, and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or fewer.

Footsteps in the snow

All our children have biblical names. We thought we would like three children and so chose three sets of boys names and three of girls, none of the first initials being the same or the same as our first initial.
Thomas Daniel
Stephen James
Matthew Peter

Rebecca Mary
Naomi Ruth
and the one we did not need
Lydia Sarah.

Most of the names were chosen primarily because we liked the name but we were also influenced by the character of the person, especially Stephen.

Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Today is St Stephen's day. 

The first time I was aware of St Stephen was nothing to do the the man himself. It was Good King Wenceslas, one of my favourite carols. I loved the story of the King noticing a suffering subject then trudging through the snow with his page in tow in search of the old man who lived by St Agnes Fountain. The snow was crisp and even. How seldom is snow crisp and even. I still have a fascination with crisp and even snow, particularly in forests. In the snowy winter two years ago we lived across the road from a forest. It was magical for me.

King Wenceslas was a man motivated by compassion. He strode through cold deep snow to bring relief. His page followed, his way made easier by following in his master's  footsteps.   

Both Wenceslas and Stephen are patterns to follow. Compassionate and caring, personifications of faith and the Holy Spirit. I pray this for our Stephen too.

Beginning and End

How much is Jesus the beginning and end of my day? Do I say hello to him the moment I get up and is he the last person who I talk to before I go to sleep? Do I talk to him at lunchtime too?
I sort cover the first one as I read my bible as I drink my wake up cup of tea. I am not so sure about the rest of the day.

His Name is John

Jubilation at the naming of his baby boy, the boy born in his old age, the child he thought he would never have. No wonder Zechariah was filled with thankfulness for God. he had been the first person that God had told about this plan. He had scoffed at the idea so much so that God had given him a sign, the sign of a no voice from the announcement of the plan until this day. Imagine Zechariah going home and explaining to Elizabeth that he could not speak because God had spoken to him and they were going to have a child. God had spoken to him! Yes, of course I believe you! Elizabeth came round after she was pregnant, she supported the idea of the out of family name, John.
Now Zechariah speaks. His will is at one with God's will. He is filled with the Holy Spirit.
May my will be aligned with yours O Lord. May I hear your promptings and act upon them.

My friend believes we had a minor miracle with a Russian doll with 10 babies for her grandaughter.


Picture
http://www.dinodirect.com/wholesale-russian-dolls-nesting-matryoshka.html