A Layered Approach

Animal tracks in the dust can give us a good idea of what recently happened in the area. A chase, a struggle, death? The wind blows, the rain falls or a fire rages through and the evidence is swept away. Like a mysterious caretaker has been at work, a clean slate awaits for something new to unfold. A little one born over here on a thin starry night; not a drop of blood to be found, but two sets of prints, one fully grown and one tiny. A courtship dance just over there: twirling bird impressions, long tail plumage sweeping a circle, and one feather left behind amongst the golden grasses.

“We are too prone to engrave our trials in marble and write our blessings in the sand.” C.H. Spurgeon

The natural world is a great teacher for those who care to learn from it. Of the failures, the upsets, the sin and shame, let’s allow the kind winds to blow; layer upon layer over time covering what should never have been, enabling us to start again with more insight, wisdom and experience on our side. If anything is going to be made permanent, let it rather be us building altars to remember the divine intervention; to thank God for the rescue and the victory. Some might carve deep scratches into the rocks to declare that something wonderful happened on this day; that favour and blessing rained down. Let the trials be carried away and disappear, but always remember the blessings.

There are new mercies every morning (Lamentations 3) and, oh, how we need them. Like dew drops balancing over the land at sunrise, bringing it back to life after the horrors of the night, times of refreshing come to us all, sooner or later.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4 v 8)

There might be a hole in the sleeve of a dress, yet a beautiful coat goes on over so that nobody will ever point a finger at the fault beneath. Stroke upon stroke on a painting, sometimes because what’s underneath is not right, other times because depth, texture and movement will only become apparent when one layer covers another.

To wallow in our failings and learn songs of despair is to wear the holey garment on the outside or to paint an undercoat on after the varnish has dried.

First layers of mistakes, loss and sorrow are real and must be given a place, but not made into a monument or waved about like a flag of surrender and defeat. The story is not over yet.

Cinderella stands in the ashes with soot on her nose whilst a ball gown is woven with silvery threads for her. Later, servant girl slash abused daughter walks into the room and everyone welcomes a princess.

Yesterday’s happenings are not today’s story. We cannot rewind or delete and it’s best not to hide, but the past is the past and today there are new layers going down. This is not about keeping secrets, but about covering our lives and the lives of those around us with love.

It’s the best way.