I don’t recall a spring weekend quite like the one we just had. Weather wise, that is. Two gorgeously mild and sunny days meant I spent hours upon hours just working outdoors, pottering around the front, side and back of the house. I trimmed the hedges on the back, removed a James Sterling breakaway on Sharon’s side of the fence – it had climbed sideways and then headed skywards, probably 3 meters tall – trimmed the front hedges, mowed the lawns, swept everything and… I wanted to do more but we had other errands to run, after Tress went for a regular dentist’ checkup, so we stopped late in the arvo, got a late lunch and did the groceries. We came back, took the little fellow to the oval to milk the gorgeous day’s remainder hours before ending the day in front of the idiot box, watching United’s goalless visit to Anfield.
On Sunday I continued working on the garden, putting in nutrients and weed killers, after doing some edging manually with a pair of shears and my bare hands for the most part. It was another glorious day and we talked to the neighbours just across the house, on the parklands on the edge of the oval.
It was more somber earlier in the day when in the morning, we received news of the passing of a member of St Alf’s. Pam Lawrence had gone away to a town in the Gippsland – Coolamatong – with her husband Andrew a little while ago. to do some work in a camp. She had been a nurse in Bali years ago and witnessed the horrible bombing and that may have left scars which may have led to her demise. Mike told the 10am group that she was found in her car with the bible opened on her lap. After the service I turned to Tress and said perhaps the “Are you ok” days really are very important. We just don’t know the depths to which some people can plunge and I hope all they need is the knowledge that people care. The engagement I had stopped taking for granted, is so crucial to provide hope and meaning to the daily grind, potentially laborious burdens which may have been speckled, perhaps, by past experiences which can just take hold of one’s mind.
So this morning as I woke to mentally take notes of my tasks at work today, I continue to be grateful for the here and now. I have work to attend to, as I left a warm home, made lovingly live-able by Tress which made me want to return to each day. The little fellow is an object of our love and kindness and he returns the affection in spades. We have things to look forward to – Kiddo and Mic’s visit over Christmas, our trip together after that and closer, the long weekend with Tress in a few weeks. Even closer, Jon’s birthday way yonder in Woodend this weekend and the Salvos’ fete the week after. And, this Thursday, there’s a talk by Jude Long, the principal of the Nungalinya College in Darwin. All of these can turn pretty quickly if not for the glue that holds it all together – the knowledge that our lives make sense when seen in the light of who God is and what He is doing. I know that wouldn’t change in a hurry – and the father of lies will continue to chip away, which means I need to stick to my routine of reading what He says about who He is and what He is doing.
That last thought has just reminded me of a CS Lewis saying about the glorious sun which light and warmth I have enjoyed so much these past 2 days. Lewis said ““I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” There but for the grace of God go I…
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