These scattered thoughts! How will I ever write anything of substance tonight? Two days ago the sun was beaming down through a clear blue sky and today was all cloud and blustery chill. My internal world has matched the weather in many ways: one moment all sunshine and roses, the next a brooding storm. I can hardly find a thread to follow never mind a common one.
Sometimes life is like that. Specially when the season is turning. We can find ourselves a little disorientated; unsure of our next step even as we know we need to take it. Staying in good, old, comfortable yesterday might seem like the way forward and yet this present moment is golden ripe for the picking and tomorrow is on her merry way.
Deep breaths.
Take heart, God has overcome the world.
Peace, do not be afraid.
Are you sleeping enough? Have you put that screen down way before you put your head on your pillow? I am not sleeping enough and that is because I am a mother. I am on call for my teens who are out until late and for my little ones who have bad dreams or lose their blankets and for my baby who needs milk. The other day I put armpit paste on my lips and I fed munga bird seed to our rabbit. We make mistakes when we are tired. Sleep is important.
Have you got a focus? Just as a ballerina needs to fix her eyes on a point so as to avoid losing her balance when she turns, we experience stability when we focus on Jesus, our rock and fortress. He is the same always, not like shadows flickering and darting as the weather and light changes. No matter what unfolds in our circumstances, He is our constant and we can rely on Him.
Have you met up with friends recently? Our avocado tree stopped producing fruit a short time after we cut down some other trees in our garden. A friend pointed out that maybe it was grieving. I thought she was joking at first but now I think she was right. If trees stop functioning properly when their roots and connections with other trees are broken, how much more do we need to stay in touch with our friends and family. We influence one another, we love and are loved in return, we sharpen and inspire, we point out shortcomings and sometimes we just cover those faults.
Last week I met up with a group of friends. We used to meet weekly when our big children were little and now we have to really be intentional if we are going to get together. We ate dessert and exchanged clothes and jewellery and read quotes and poems and scriptures together. When I climbed into bed later that evening, my heart was warm and I was smiling as I closed my eyes.
Two friends went out of their way to lighten my load this week. They did for me what I was struggling to do myself. Their acts of service for me have been like a balm.
On several occasions I realised that friendship was under fire. Feelings of being left-out, misunderstood, taken for granted, judged and betrayed are not limited to the playground. We are capable of hurting one another for as long as we live and we are even more capable of letting the roots of friendship dig ever deeper even as the winds of change blow. Roots that will entwine to bring stability and connectedness and a deep sense of well being.
Well, this post still doesn’t have a title and I have written off the top of my head for long enough. Some weeks are hard, and when they are, a good night’s sleep is extra necessary. Who we are focused on will determine whether we are still standing when the weekend comes. Connections with others lighten the load and lighten the dark. Sleep, God and Others – a winning combination for any week.
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