Carol’s Blog

Forgotten Bulbs

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‘My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ Philippians 4:19

Everything was going well in her busy life as she attended to the needs of her family and the community. There was no cloud on her horizon and in the autumn she found time to indulge in one of her passions. She didn’t usually plant bulbs in the autumn but this autumn she planted a large number of them. She didn’t know why she had this urge.

At Christmas everything changed, her husband died. Her family, friends, community and garden were neglected. She sunk into a deep depression and as January turned into February there was no lifting of her spirits, her family were becoming worried for her.

Then she stood in her neglected garden in early April and noticed bright green shoots appearing where she had planted the bulbs in the autumn. The cold dark soil was revealing it’s treasures. In her bereavement she had forgotten the bulbs, which as they flowered were to great her in her sorrow.

When she had planted them God had known what she hadn’t known. Her winter would bring a time of great sorrow and pain. God had kept the bulbs safe until she was ready for their message. From the time of seeing the first bulbs growing, her heart slowly mended. She now had a glimpse of the future. Life would never be the same again, but now she had hope. God had indeed gone before.

Mary and her Lamb

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‘Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.‘ John !:36

It seems the nursery rhyme. ‘Mary had a little lamb,’ originated in New Hampshire, America in the 19th century. It is thought to be based on a true incident where a child named Mary took her pet lamb to school which naturally caused an uproar. There are other claims to this story, one being in Massachusetts where a memorial has been erected. The moral was made that because Mary loved her lamb, the lamb loved her in return and the rhyme was written by her teacher.

Still thinking on the theme of lambs and love, the choral work, ‘All in the April evening‘ was composed by Sir Hugh S. Robinson (1874-1923) to words by the Irish poet Katherine Tynan Hickson (1861-1931). The final verse reads – ‘All in an April evening, April airs were abroad, I saw the sheep with their lambs and thought on the Lamb of God.’

A number of Biblical references are included in the Bible to Jesus being the Lamb, of God, one being the comment from John the Baptist, who when he saw Jesus passing by said in John 1:36 ‘Behold the Lamb of God.’ The slain lamb is referred to in Revelation 5:6 ‘Then I saw the lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne.’

Missing Thomas

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‘Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve was not with the disciples when Jesus appeared to them‘ John 20:24

There was probably a very good reason why Thomas was not with the disciples when Jesus appeared to them in the upper room after His resurrection. It had been a hectic and upsetting time; he probably had business which had to be done. The result was that he missed this wonderful appearance of Jesus.

His absence caused him to disbelieve what he was being told, it just wasn’t possible. Although he probably wasn’t at the foot of the cross when Jesus died he still knew that Jesus was completely dead and had been buried for three days!

Because he was not with the others, he had to suffer further hours of anguish and despair by not having the joy which the other disciples had experienced. He could not, he would not believe, ‘Unless I see… ‘Unless I put my finger… ‘Unless I put my hand… . He was relying on his senses and not on his faith.

How many blessings do we miss because we are not in Christian fellowship? What experiences do we miss because we are going it alone? We are programmed for fellowship, Christian fellowship and we need the help and love of those who are walking along the same path.

Tortured for Christ

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‘Some faced jeers and flogging while still others were chained and put in prison. Hebrews 11:36

Richard Wurmbrand (1909 – 2001) was a Romanian Christian minister of Jewish descent. He became a Christian in 1948 and publicly declared that communism and Christianity were not compatible. A dangerous thing to do in that climate!

As he continued to preach this message he was repeatedly imprisoned and tortured. His wife who supported his beliefs suffered in the same way. Although he was forbidden to preach he continued with his message. His tortures were very severe but nothing would stop him letting the world know about the terrible suffering many Christians were experiencing in a number of communist countries.

As his suffering and opposition continued, it was decided that Richard would have more influence if he left his native country. In this way he would be freer to share his message. He went first to Norway, then Britain and eventually to America.

Wurmbrand was the author of 18 books, though the best know is ‘Tortured for Christ.’ which lets the world know of his experiences and the persecution that was continuing under the communist regimes. So popular, was this book that it was translated into 38 languages. Richard spent his whole life telling others about God.

Prayer Meeting

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Paul and his companions were on their travels and when they had reached the city of Philippi in Acts 16 we read that on the Sabbath they did what was natural for them and went looking for a group of worshippers. At the riverside they found a number of women, who were praising God. Imagine how the women would have felt, they were only meeting up in the usual way when this famous apostle and his friends joined with them.

One of the women, Lydia, was a seller of purple goods and had also been baptised. She was so impressed by Paul’s teaching and his message that she urged Paul and his friends to stay with her. Imagine the conversations they would have had in the evenings!

It was the habit for these women to meet and pray. If they hadn’t bothered or decided to opt out on that day they would have missed a tremendous blessing. There is a lot to be said for being in the right place at the right time, under God’s will.

As young people we used to speculate where we would be on the day of the Second Coming. Of course, we couldn’t be in church the whole time, nor did we want to be found in a place of ‘ill repute’, whatever we thought that was! We do need to be in the place where God wants us to be, whether in an unsavoury place witnessing, visiting a hospital or singing praises in church. The important thing is not the ‘where’ but being in God’s will.

Black Friday

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Today is Black Friday and Good Friday all rolled into one. Black Friday because it is the day on which our Saviour was crucified. We remember it every year and it is no less horrific. Jesus, part of the Trinity and the Creator of the world, put to death in the most barbaric way. How could have God allowed it to happen? There were myriads and myriads of angels who could have saved Him. He could have been whipped away to heaven at any time. Yet we have to be so thankful that it didn’t happen like that. It had been foretold that He would die in this way as prophet after profit had predicted it would happen. The account in the gospels are vivid. Matthew, Mark, Luke and specifically in John’s gospel. This Friday is not the cheap Black shopping day that we have now, but black with the sky becoming dark and God turning His face away. It is black, because of our sins. That’s an uncomfortable thought.

But this day is generally known as Good Friday. How can this be? It is ‘good’ because there is an Easter Sunday coming. The Sunday when Jesus rose from the dead, having died for our sins, He was triumphant, death had been conquered, Jesus had conquered it. Praise the Lord, Sunday is coming, Easter Sunday.

Not Chosen

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Israel needs a new king as their present king, Saul, has been rejected by God. So Samuel is sent to Bethlehem, to the household of Jessie, as one of his sons ‘is God’s Chosen One.’ Eliab, Abinadab and Shammah in spite of their fine appearance were not chosen by God. Nor were any of the other of Jessie’s sons who were present. David, the youngest, hadn’t even been summonsed, it wasn’t even considered that God would chose him as king!.

David is God’s anointed and is also chosen by Saul to play his harp to him when the evil spirits visited , so David spent his time between the palace and with his sheep. David is now aware of the threats that Goliath is making and when requested to take provisions to his brothers, Eliab’s his anger was kindled against David, maybe it was jealousy that David had been anointed. ‘Why have you come down and with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and the evil in your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.1 Samuel 17:28.

David could have replied, ‘I have been sent by our father to bring you provisions,’ instead he said what younger siblings have often said, ‘What have I done now?’ Family squabbles put to one side, David went forward and slew the great giant. God has different plans for each one of us and it is our job to obey.

We Began by Praying

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‘Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.’

Psalm 46:2

In 2010 a collapse in the San Jose copper/gold mine trapped 33 miners. The miners were over 2,000 ft deep, three miles from the entrance and had only enough food for three days which in the event they managed to eke out for sixteen. That was a miracle. One of the miners, Jose Henriquez, organised the group to pray regardless of their faith or religion. They all agreed that prayer was their only hope in their desperate situation. On the 17th day they heard drilling. They had been found, that was another miracle. But saving them would be more difficult. When the drill reached them they were able to send up a note to say they were all safe

Above ground the families were all gathered together where they could support each other and prayer was also taking place on the surface as their fate was affecting the whole nation. After 69 days they were all safely rescued and by then 22 of the men had made a profession of faith, more miracles. Jose later said. ‘When we felt we had lost everything, I could say that we hadn’t lost prayer and as you can see, prayer works.’

The Power of Memory

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‘The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.’ Psalm 91:1

It was a very ordinary group of trees and shrubs. As it was early spring the leaves hadn’t yet started to appear, so the branches stood out in their silhouetted beauty. At the base of the trees were shrubs of various shapes and sizes. It front there was an ordinary country wooden fence, partly broken in places. As the wind blew around, I sat sheltered in my car and I was struck by how ordinary everything was, yet to my eye it was a beautiful sight. Maybe I was seeing it with Christ-filled eyes.

It was a sight that has stayed in my mind. Like Wordsworth’s daffodils I keep recalling the scene. To my right had been the traffic driving by, but it was no distraction. Hidden behind the trees was a small industrial site. But none of this registered. Even months later I can recall the picture and the sense of God’s presence. He isn’t just felt in beautiful mountains or magnificent cathedrals. He is everywhere and in everything. But we do need to give ourselves time to feel Him. It’s a case of the still, small voice.

Christless Eyes

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When I moved into the Lake District a few year’s ago I realised it was just as beautiful as I had been told. Soaring mountains, which a few years ago I had climbed, wonderful lakes and beauty at every turn of the road or track. The only downside it is very crowded in the summer with nowhere to park and quieter in winter with inclement weather.

Standing at the bus-stop one day I couldn’t help saying to the young girl in the queue. ”Isn’t is beautiful here, the hills, the open spaces, the mountains. Don’t you think it’s wonderful!’ She looked at me with disdainful eyes, ‘Na, it’s too green.’ I was taken back and couldn’t think of a reply. How can God’s world be too green? Did she have a green allergy? She probably wanted more shops and night-life. Her thoughts were earthly and not heavenly.

George Robinson’s hymn puts it simply,

‘Heavenly above is softer blue, earth below is sweeter green,

Something lives in every hue, Christless eyes have never seen.’

As Christians we have eyes that can see God’s beauty which can be lost to others. Probably because we know the Creator and love Him. We, like Him, can see beyond the scars, the horrors and the tragedies.