All change!!
No, honest, I’m not talking about politicians, Prime Ministers, party leaders and the like! I’ve been helping a friend to prepare for moving house. This…? tip! This…? Charity Shop! You can’t throw that away, surely! Some of us grew up with parents who ruthlessly got rid of things as soon as they had done their job, others of us (me…) lived with cupboards full of things that “might come in useful”, and had a father who kept every piece of string, and straightened out nails he removed from old wood. Helping my friend sort out after 20 years in one house, and having taken in elderly parents and their stuff is proving quite challenging, as we come across so many memories – “mother saved 2 shillings a week to buy that rug”….. a little wooden box in the garage contained some mysterious tools which her father took to work every day. No way was that going to the tip! When I moved, it was the discovery of the bun tin that was such a part of my childhood – Mum’s fruit cakes – that reduced me to tears. Objects can hold so many emotions for us; fond and painful memories, and affection, but if holding onto the past prevents us from moving forward in our own lives, perhaps it’s time for them to go? In the Bible, the prophet Isaiah spoke God’s message to his people:
Do not cling to events of the past, or dwell on what happened long ago.
Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already—you can see it now!
Maybe a message from the past, but so relevant to today… There will be change, but God goes ahead, and let’s go forward, praying for our new Prime Minister and those who carry heavy responsibilities.
Blessings
The Revd Janet Tebby
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