WHO WAITS FOR WHOM

Sometimes my life is over full of things to do, my hands get full, my days too short; but I have learnt a lesson I shall not forget from a little bird.

I have caught glimpses of this little birds many times with closed eyes in prayer; a tiny, red breasted Robin. Why a Robin? Oh, I questioned The Lord about it, but never for too long; there was always the next job do, or the next thing to think about. So many times through the years the little robin has visited me in my prayers and I have to see that this teasing little bird was representing Jesus Himself, but, always, always there was something else to be getting on with; I couldn’t linger.

Then after a rainy spell the sun shine and I ventured into the garden with secateurs and garden fork. I’m not noisy so perhaps that is why the robin came to perch first in the Buddleia then in the Rose Bush, venturing ever more closer.

He watched me and I watched him. He was clearly waiting. Of course the little chap was on the look out for juicy insects. Sometimes he would make a quick dart but I came to realise that the best way to give my tiny friend what he was waiting And hoping for, was to stop my work, down tools, retreat to a quiet corner and just watch.

Psalm 40: 1 ‘I waited patiently for the LORD, He turned to me and heard my cry.’
Psalm 27: 14 ‘ Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD’

These 2 verses speak of us waiting for The Lord, but the lesson I have learnt is this:-

God waits for us.
Waits for us to put aside our busyness.
When He comes to visit – he waits for us to be still whilst He takes pleasure in the tiny morsels of love we have to offer.
I don’t have a problem with seeing my offerings as juicy insects;
After all He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
If the One who keeps the world turning and the stars burning is not too busy to visit us.
How can we keep The Lord waiting?

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Cherry Blossom, Camelias at Pentecost

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Cherry blossom, and Camelias in the garden and warm sunshine blessed Pentecost Sunday; today Church had two visitors both from Pentecostal church backgrounds.

Mary, came this morning, slipping in quietly and writing prayer requests in the book in the porch before taking a seat. Her own church is an enormous, modern building with state of the art auditorium and stage, the congregations is numbered in hundred and all the services lively and loud; yet from time to time, Mary pops in to sip peace and quiet and to leave requests in the Intercessions Book.  Many pages back you can find Mary’s own name written there, for Mary had Cancer of the Spine – and God was good.

Craig came this evening on his bike, checking out the church where he is to be married in a few months time.  If he found our Book of Common Prayer Service sedate or boring, Craig never said; he did spend quite a time chatting away to the Organist about the mysterious workings of our old organ; and perhaps he was quite surprised to learn that sometimes the Organ was joined by trumpet, violin, guitars, oboe, drums.

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150)

There are so many ways to praise God and to serve Him, so many different kinds of congregation, but there is still ‘One Lord, one Spirit working in all’…..

Quiet Prayers are heard and people are healed, worship is offered and the Lord makes Himself known even in elderly church buildings with a nave and altar.  Our visitors today remind us ‘that we were all baptised by one Spirit, so as to form one body—we were all given the one Spirit to drink, (1Cor. 12:13 NIV).

The same Spirit who delights to heal, who inspires singers, and musicicans and who took pleasure in the creation of Cherry Blossom and Camelia; blessings to all at Pentecost

“Like A Weaned Child”

Once, I was a child, a baby in Christ; a tearsome, troublesome child to whom the Spirit said, “You are like a little hedgehog, always on the defensive, always rolled tightly into your ball; sadly your spines grow inwardly.”

This was all too true.

But God is good,and

‘He gives food to every creature.’ (Psalm 136 v5).

Everyday the Lord provided this hedgehog with spiritual milk and hand reared me, now, I grown, my days are busy and full but I am still being nurtured and hand reared; with the psalmist I can say,

‘Like a weaned child with its mother, I am content’ (Psalm 131 v2)

Through The Night

Silently, His finger on my lips,
Safely, wrapped in His wings.

My beloved is mine and I am hIs,
He browses amongst the lilies.
(Song of Songs 2 v16)

I love waking in the night, the night time can be sacred, holy, just me and The Lord,, nothing in between.

Why silently because every need, every want, every trouble is already known to God, there is nothing to be said, and all busy thoughts are stilled, in God I know at such times, only rest, only peace.

And safely? Is there anything in the whole of creation, either seen or unseen that can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord? (Romans 8 v39?

So I pray you may pass through your nights,
Silently, His finger on your lips,
Safely, wrapped in His wings. Amen