Oh dear. Would appear I have not been very good at writing in recent weeks. My thoughts and efforts have been elsewhere. We have sold our house, found a new one and are waiting for news on when we might move. The whole thing took under two weeks - from our decision to sell, to selling, to finding and to offering. It's been an amazing journey and we are excited about all the future holds.
My wife, being the amazing women she is, walked into our new house and said "Christmas tree is there; piano is there; sofa is there". What struck me was the way she said "is" and not "would". She walked into each room and saw our life. She saw how it was going to be, not what it might be like. She didn't see the potential, she saw the actual. We fell in love with the house straight away and are looking forward to making it home.
Anyway, enough about that. Leaves and trees. "What is that about?" you might ask. A good question. I was walking the dog the other day and admiring how beautiful the trees looked. Autumn colours have always melted my heart and left me 'fire staring' - just mesmerised by the beauty, texture and colours.
The following day was exceptionally windy. The dog and I went on the same walk and many of the leaves had been blown off and swept away. Overnight, in a moment, the beauty of the colours had been replaced by exposed branches and bear trees. As I looked at the trees, I found myself thinking about pruning. Any good gardener will tell you that it is important to prune out of season. It is an essential process that allows for new birth in the next season and ensures the trees and plants can continue to flourish.
I was thinking about the last few months and how many things in my life have been stripped away. I have been through a pruning process where the old things in my life - mindsets, luggage, baggage, work, etc. - have been blown away by the winds of life and the Spirit and left me pretty bear and stark.
But then I found myself being thankful and rejoicing. By allowing the baggage and old things in life to be blown away, it prepares me for the next season. It ensures I am ready to grow new things. I am ready to yield even better fruit.
The next time there is a really windy day, why not go for a walk. Watch the leaves be blown from the trees and swept away. Think about the things in your life which are still attached to you that are preventing new growth in a new season and allow them to be swept away.
Pruning is a good and necessary exercise. There is a great verse in the Bible about how pruning only comes when a tree has born fruit. If something doesn't bear fruit, the branches are cut off. Pruning is the preparation of a new season but a season in itself. It comes because something has been fruitful - something has gone well. But it can bear even more fruit. Go through the pruning process and it will do you good.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
The Start of a Whole New Adventure
It's been a couple of weeks since I last blogged. If you have been checking in regularly, my apologise for the lack of information. Alot of my creative thinking and general typing has been invested in (mainly) work.
After about four months of being in the wilderness, I feel like I am strolling in the meadows of a lush landscape. There is some provision to get the journey started, but as I said in my last post, the best is yet to come and I am looking forward to seeing the real fruits of this land my family and I are now in.
The other thing that has happened since I last blogged is that my wife and I feel it is time to sell our house and move on..... down. Six years ago, we moved into a very large house in our hometown and started to serve the Church family by being a Mum & Dad and Brother & Sister to people who needed a home. During that time, thirteen different people lived with us from various walks of life and for varying periods of time.
Many people have asked us how we have done it; how we have 'coped' on a day-to-day basis. There is a grace. It has been a privilege and honour to serve people and love them, but their is a grace for it. Some people have the grace to feed the homeless every night; some people have the grace to raise two/three/four children alone; some have the grace to work as teachers or doctors and put in long hours. We had the grace to do what we did, but now it has gone. That is not a bad thing, but when the grace to do something has gone (the unshakeable willingness to give of yourself without hesitation of question), it is time to consider the future.
For some time now we have been talking about whether our time was up. Whether our season had come to an end and whether it was time to move into something smaller and focus on our own children. In the last ten days, that has been confirmed again and again - it is time to focus on the core family so that their future is secure. Don't get me wrong - there is absolutely nothing wrong with our family life or our friendships. Quite the opposite. But that is partly why we want to focus on just the four of us.... to ensure that the future is better than the past.
We have started the process of getting the house valued. That has been fun. It is amazing how one estate agent can value the house at one price and another be different by as much as 20%. I am sure that by the time they have all reviewed and estimated, we will have some idea of its true value.
My wife saw a friend today who was really excited for us. "The start of a whole new adventure", she said. And she's right - it is. The best is (still) yet to come and we are starting on a whole new adventure. Life should be like that.... it should be one big adventure to be enjoyed. Our adventure is now going to be with our children and then our wider Church family.
Whether you are thinking of moving house, moving jobs, moving the furniture or simply changing your view on life, I hope you enjoy "the whole new adventure" that awaits you. There will be a grace for it.
After about four months of being in the wilderness, I feel like I am strolling in the meadows of a lush landscape. There is some provision to get the journey started, but as I said in my last post, the best is yet to come and I am looking forward to seeing the real fruits of this land my family and I are now in.
The other thing that has happened since I last blogged is that my wife and I feel it is time to sell our house and move on..... down. Six years ago, we moved into a very large house in our hometown and started to serve the Church family by being a Mum & Dad and Brother & Sister to people who needed a home. During that time, thirteen different people lived with us from various walks of life and for varying periods of time.
Many people have asked us how we have done it; how we have 'coped' on a day-to-day basis. There is a grace. It has been a privilege and honour to serve people and love them, but their is a grace for it. Some people have the grace to feed the homeless every night; some people have the grace to raise two/three/four children alone; some have the grace to work as teachers or doctors and put in long hours. We had the grace to do what we did, but now it has gone. That is not a bad thing, but when the grace to do something has gone (the unshakeable willingness to give of yourself without hesitation of question), it is time to consider the future.
For some time now we have been talking about whether our time was up. Whether our season had come to an end and whether it was time to move into something smaller and focus on our own children. In the last ten days, that has been confirmed again and again - it is time to focus on the core family so that their future is secure. Don't get me wrong - there is absolutely nothing wrong with our family life or our friendships. Quite the opposite. But that is partly why we want to focus on just the four of us.... to ensure that the future is better than the past.
We have started the process of getting the house valued. That has been fun. It is amazing how one estate agent can value the house at one price and another be different by as much as 20%. I am sure that by the time they have all reviewed and estimated, we will have some idea of its true value.
My wife saw a friend today who was really excited for us. "The start of a whole new adventure", she said. And she's right - it is. The best is (still) yet to come and we are starting on a whole new adventure. Life should be like that.... it should be one big adventure to be enjoyed. Our adventure is now going to be with our children and then our wider Church family.
Whether you are thinking of moving house, moving jobs, moving the furniture or simply changing your view on life, I hope you enjoy "the whole new adventure" that awaits you. There will be a grace for it.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Best Is Yet To Come
What if I told you the best is yet to come? What if I told you that whatever is in front of you can be better than what was behind you, no matter how good or bad? You probably wouldn't believe me.
I was at my son's hockey practice today. I had been thinking all day about 'the best is yet to come'. Surely, the best is yet to come.
I have felt quite sad today. Quite down. Just because of circumstances. In the eyes of the world and all that it says to me, I am in a dire situation. There is not much work around and there doesn't appear to be anything going on. But what if I see something different?
The boys played a game at the weekend and one of coaches said, "You know, the best is yet to come". Hearing these words confirmed to me that whatever happened in the last game or yesterday in life, it doesn't matter. What matters is the next game. What matters is tomorrow.
What if I choose to believe that the best is yet to come? It means that tomorrow is going to be better than today. It means more work opportunities. Deeper friendships. Better marriages (I already have a fantastic marriage, in case you are wondering). Stronger family ties. Even if I had all of these things today, tomorrow is going to be better.
In the bible, there is an amazing man called Paul. He wrote some incredible life-giving words of guidance and re-assurance. One of them was "I choose to press on towards the goal of life.... not death" (my paraphrasing).
Tomorrow, when you wake and start the day, choose to press on towards something better. If you do this, I know the best is in store for you.
The best is yet to come......
I was at my son's hockey practice today. I had been thinking all day about 'the best is yet to come'. Surely, the best is yet to come.
I have felt quite sad today. Quite down. Just because of circumstances. In the eyes of the world and all that it says to me, I am in a dire situation. There is not much work around and there doesn't appear to be anything going on. But what if I see something different?
The boys played a game at the weekend and one of coaches said, "You know, the best is yet to come". Hearing these words confirmed to me that whatever happened in the last game or yesterday in life, it doesn't matter. What matters is the next game. What matters is tomorrow.
What if I choose to believe that the best is yet to come? It means that tomorrow is going to be better than today. It means more work opportunities. Deeper friendships. Better marriages (I already have a fantastic marriage, in case you are wondering). Stronger family ties. Even if I had all of these things today, tomorrow is going to be better.
In the bible, there is an amazing man called Paul. He wrote some incredible life-giving words of guidance and re-assurance. One of them was "I choose to press on towards the goal of life.... not death" (my paraphrasing).
Tomorrow, when you wake and start the day, choose to press on towards something better. If you do this, I know the best is in store for you.
The best is yet to come......
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