Author: Carol Purves

Beginning and End

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We have a God who has no beginning and therefore no end. It is only us poor mortals who have been placed in time; we have a beginning which is the time of our birth; we have an end, the time of death. For neither occasion do we have a choice of time, place or circumstance.

How gracious is our God to allow us to have a new day, every day where we have the opportunity to start again. As the hymn writer says ‘New every morning is Thy love……’ Daily the slate is wiped clean, future sins and problems haven’t arrived. The present that God has given us, is the present

Happiness

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What do we depend on for our happiness? It is so easy to grasp unsubstantial and fleeting things. Our happiness can’t rest in our health. As we get older parts of our bodies wear out and the number of pills we take and the visits to the hospital increase. We don’t appreciate the good health we do have until it diminishes. Relying on good health is not the way to happiness.

Our happiness cannot stem from our family and friends. We are thankful for them as they walk beside us in our lives. But our dependence mustn’t be on them. Sadly friends can hurt and let us down. Family members can die. To fully depend on these people is like leaning on a frail reed instead of a strong stick. Nor can we trust in money; prices rise, savings diminish and the things we purchase will not always fully satisfy. A shortage brings worries and an abundance brings other kinds of worry. Money is not the answer to our searching.

We need something that will never let us down; we hope for somebody who is utterly reliable. We have it! Because we have God, we have all we need.

Time

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Dear Lord,

As we thank You for the gift of time which provides us with a past, present and future, we ask for ourselves and for others to have enough time; time to pray and to listen to You, time to think Your thoughts and obey Your will.

May I have enough time for others and their needs, so my life is not concentrated on myself. May my time be spent for Christians and those who don’t yet know You, in the correct proportions.

While we still have this gift, may we use it to the full before the time arrives when time will be no more and when in the later day we have to give an account to You of how we spent this commodity. May we not be ashamed.

Minutes, days, months, decades make up this elusive thing which we can’t rewind, it is literally here today and gone tomorrow. Like all Your gifts it is not to be squandered but used and treasured.

God of time and timelessness we pray this in Your name,

Amen.

Exiles from a Long-Ago Garden

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We live in a world of exiles. So many are torn from their homeland:;family and places becoming a distant memory. We think of the Israelites who ‘ hung up their harps and wept’ in their exile, their hearts broken and torn. Even when we make a move across our own country there is a feeling of loss and disconnection. We leave behind neighbours and communities, before we are able to make new. Our hearts mourn for our modern-day exiles, fleeing to a safer, lonelier place; family killed or left behind, heritage shattered..

In a sense we are all aliens. This world is not the end of our journey. Earth is not our home, we’re just passing through. St Augustine says ‘You made us for Yourselves, Oh, Lord, our heart is restless until in rests in You.’ We are indeed exiles from a long-ago garden and we have not yet reached the Celestial City.

Labyrinths and Pilgrimages

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The power of walking in labyrinths and along pilgrimages is not the act of walking but of meeting God along the way. To explore a labyrinth tends to be a solitary experience while pilgrimages are often more communal. They are opportunities to slow down, time to think and contemplate while spending time with God. In our hurried world God has given us the gift of time, time to spend how we wish.

As our hours extend into days, to months, to decades has our walk been leading us closer to God or away? Are we walking towards the time when time will be no more? All our life is a walk, up the difficult hills, down the slippery slopes or along even ground. It is a walk we can’t and mustn’t do alone. We don’t know the way, we need a guide.

The Hand of God

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What is the hand of God? What does it do? we know it flung stars into space and created everything that we see and we don’t see. It guides. ‘Thy hand of God Oh has guided Thy flock from age to age.,’ the hymn tells us. The hand has guided through the history of the Bible until the birth of Christ and beyond. Then that same hand was nailed to the cross with gross inhumanity to man. The hand of all creation was pierced and smashed for the sake of the world; the same hand that had been placed on the sick and had made breakfast for the disciples on the shoreline as an act of forgiveness.

The hand of God is still at work today offering comfort, guidance and wisdom. In the final days God with His outstretched hand will welcome us into His presence.

Beginnings and Good Endings

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“The red of the rust blended with the red of the blood dripping down the handle of the axe, down the hand that held it and down to mingle with the dirt on the ground …………….. As Gladys held out a shaky hand she waited, the prisoners round the wall waited. The governors and officials outside the locked door waited. Even the birds seemed to hush their song and the wind paused on it’s journey down the mountainside. Would the axeman add Gladys to his list of victims?”

This is how I stared I one of the editions of my book about the life of Gladys Aylward, a missionary in China. The idea was that the reader would be so gripped by my words that they would want to read on!

Every life is like a book with a beginning and end. We have no control over the beginning of our lives, who our parents are, where we live, or even our hereditary traits. But we have control on how we will end. Have we lived our lives within God’s will, so He will be able to say to us ‘Well done good and faithful servant.’ May we be able to say like Paul, ‘I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now is stored up for me the crown of righteousness.’ 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Hagar

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How unspeakably hard it must be to receive the news that your unborn baby is suffering from a serious medical condition. The anticipated happy event suddenly becomes overshadowed with anxiety and dread. Hopes are dashed as the future seems bleak. The news that Hagar, the servant of Sarah, wife of Abraham received was not medical but a terrible description of what his character would be like. What mother would want to hear the words ‘He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against his. He will live in hostility towards his brothers.’ Genesis 16:12

Hagar seemed to have a very hard life, used as a fertility machine and twice banished from her home. Mind you, she wasn’t completely innocent, she was extremely unkind towards the barren Sarah. But this was all part of God’s plan (which we will never fully understand) God didn’t desert her. Just as she feared her son was dying from thirst, God opened her eyes to see a nearby well. With my own unseeing eyes, I wonder why Hagar didn’t see the well before. I know, God veiled her eyes.

N.P.C.

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Talking to teenagers I’m always learning something new. Apparently N.P.C. stands for ‘non-player character. As it refers to people they do not particularly like, I think it is a terrible phrase. It just writes people off as being of no account. To use the word ‘non’ usually has a negative connotation, anyway. ‘I don’t like you, you’re a N.P.C.’

To be written off like this is so damning. No wonder there are so many suicides. No-one is a non-player character. Everyone has worth and is of importance. I grew up with a negative opinion of myself as I was taught I was of no worth and my life would never amount to anything. If I am not careful that is still my opinion of myself. But with hard work I’ve made a success of my life and now consider myself as good as anyone else. If I’d been described as a N.P.C as a teenage, it would have crushed me.

But as a Christian I’m loved by God, so much so that He died for me and for everyone who believes in Him. I’m a beloved daughter of the King of King and a child of God.

Seated Exercise

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I now go to a class of seated exercise each week. I was worried that it would only exercise my upper body but fortunately there is excercise for every part of me. Starting with the top of our heads we move down to where we wriggle and excerise our toes. I confess that mine don’t move much. At the end of the 45 minutes I’m quite exhausted and enjoy the piece of cake and drink which follows.

Is my spiritual life as well exercised? It is not much use exercising some parts and neglecting others. If we omit the parts we find difficult we will be spiritually unbalanced. We need prayer, study of the Bible and mixing with other Christians. Prayer will be listening and speaking with God. We spent time with our friends to get to know them better, how much more do we need time spent with God. By studying the Bible we will be reading the letter God has given us. It is full of the advice and guidance we need. Christian fellowship will lessen the impact of the world and its influences. Our Christian friends can share their wisdom with us. May we never be unbalanced in our Christian walk.