Posted on by Lesley

Looking For Good

The following poem is by Eddie Askew, former General Secretary of The Leprosy Mission.

Lord, it’s easy to be discouraged

by all the pain and evil I see in the world.

Easy to grow hard and cynical. Paranoid.

Scanning each friendly word for hidden criticism.

Taking the outstretched hand and wondering

what the other hand holds.

Throwing away the message of love

while I look in the envelope for its letter bomb.

So easy, Lord.

But in the quiet with you

the thought comes.

If evil is so strong

and wrong so powerful,

why is there yet such goodness in the world?

There is one world, not two.

And the world that spins into darkness

is only half a turn from the light.

And in the dark itself there are lights.

Flickering candles of hesitant flame,

persistent rhythmic neons of colour,

bright floodlights of electric intensity.

A white shining of hope.

And somehow the darkness has no power to put it out.

The light shines on in the dark,

and the darkness has never quenched it.

Lord, thank you for that.

For every glimmer of light and goodness

that falls across my path.

For every rumour of righteousness,

each breath of kindness,

each incandescent glow of particular love in my world.

Thank you.

And as they coalesce,

spilling over into the dark chasms of life,

pools and lakes of shimmering light,

I can see the outline of your love.

Quiet. Persistent. Patient. Indomitable.

Evil may deny your presence, Lord,

but the light still shows me you are here.

Posted on by Lesley · 8 Comments

Garden Work – as viewed from Heaven

God: Francis, you know all about gardens and nature; what in the world is going on down there in the U.K. What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistles and the stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees, and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colour by now. All I see are patches of green.

St. Francis: It’s the tribes that settled there, Lord. They are called the suburbanites. They started calling your flowers ‘weeds’ and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass

God: Grass? But it is so boring. It’s not colourful. It doesn’t attract butterflies, bees or birds, only grubs and worms. It’s temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want grass growing there?

St. Francis: Apparently not Lord. As soon as it has grown a little, they cut it, sometimes two times a week.

God: They cut it? Do they bale it like hay?

St. Francis: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

God: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

St. Francis: No sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

God: Now let me get this straight . . . they fertilize it to make it grow and when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

St. Francis: Yes, sir.

God: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the Summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

St. Francis: You aren’t going to believe this Lord, but when the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

God: What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the Spring to provide beauty and shade in the Summer. In the Autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep the moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves become compost to enhance the soil. It’s a natural circle of life.

St. Francis: You’d better sit down, Lord. As soon as the leaves fall, the Suburbanites rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

God: No way! What do they do to protect the shrubs and tree roots in the Winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

St. Francis: After throwing the leaves away, they go out and buy something called mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

God: And where do they get this mulch?

St. Francis: They cut down the trees and grind them up to make mulch.

God: Enough! I don’t want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine, you’re in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

St. Catherine: “Dumb and Dumber,” Lord. It’s a really stupid movie about . . .

God: Never mind – I think I just heard the whole story from Saint Francis!

(Author unknown)

Posted on by Lesley · 2 Comments

Jesus Will Still Be There

Things change, plans fail.
You look for love on a grander scale.
Storms rise, hopes fade
and you place your bets on another day.
When the going gets tough, when the ride’s too rough,
when you’re just not sure enough.

Jesus will still be there.
His love will never change,
Sure as a steady rain,
Jesus will still be there.
When no one else is true,
He’ll still be lovin’ you.
When it looks like you’ve lost it all
And you haven’t got a prayer,
Jesus will still be there.

Time flies, hearts turn,
a little bit wiser from lessons learned.
But sometimes weakness wins
and you lose your foothold once again.
When the going gets tough, when the ride’s too rough,
when you’re just not sure enough.

Jesus will still be there.
His love will never change,
Sure as a steady rain,
Jesus will still be there.
When no one else is true,
He’ll still be lovin’ you.
When it looks like you’ve lost it all
And you haven’t got a prayer,
Jesus will still be there.

Posted on by Lesley

God is Faithful

The following is from a post by David Sorensen.

God is so faithful!

I hear Jesus Christ whisper these words in my heart for you, right now:

“I love you with the deepest love there is, and My love will not fail for you, beloved.

Although the darkness surrounds you, My light is within you. Let My light shine into your mind and see My faithful love.

I will lead you through these times and I will give you new strength.

Look at Me. I rose from the dead. I conquered the grave. No matter how deep you are, I have gone so much deeper, so much further into the depths of the abyss.

I have been where no man has ever been and I have overcome, says Jesus Christ. I am the conqueror. I am the victor.

I am eternal life, and if you believe in Me, I will give you this life that is stronger than death. This life that will help you break through the valley where you seem to be so stuck in.

I will raise you up to new levels of faith in Me, where you will begin to see beyond the shadows and discern My light inside of you.

I am here, says the Lord, right with you. I have walked this valley so often and I will lead you out of it.

Trust Me, walk with Me, look at Me.

Don’t focus on the darkness, but focus on Me, and My light.

Let My love strengthen you.

Let My love fill your heart.

Listen to My voice and hear My heartbeat.

I love you.

I care for you.

I know you.

I forgive you with all my heart and with fullness of joy.

My grace is so abundant.

I have hope for you and your beloved ones.

Look at Me.

I smile over you.

I look at you with eyes of gladness and understanding.

Come and follow Me.

Come and walk with Me.

Come and put your hand again in My hand.

I will help you.

And together we will walk, from victory to victor, from glory to glory, from darkness to light, again and again.

My love will become the deep foundation of your life.

Look at Me.

Have faith in Me.

I love you.

I never leave you.

We will make it, together, you and Me.

Come with Me.”

– Jesus Christ

The post in full can be read here.

Posted on by Lesley · 8 Comments

Labels

The following extract and poem are taken from Disguises of Love by Eddie Askew.

Another problem is that labels can restrict our own development. Our traditional piety sometimes makes us less than fully human. We curb our ability to enjoy life, or feel pain, because we feel we must conform to an expected role, to labels we stick on ourselves. Yet the most important thing is not that we can recognise others, labelled or not, nor that they acknowledge our labels, but rather that God recognises us. And the thing he recognises is love, not labels. That’s what he identifies with. Not the classification by which we proclaim our separateness from others, and certainly not the critical labels we apply to them, but the caring which shows our identification with them. What we claim to be is not as important as the presence of Christ in our lives. That’s what leads God to call us his children. ‘Because those who are led (not labelled!) by the Spirit are sons (and daughters of God’ (Romans 8:14).

Labels

They put labels on you, Lord,

Friend of sinners, Sabbath breaker.

Disturber of the peace.

They put all their fear and anger,

all their hate, into their labels.

It was easier to label than to listen.

Easier to condemn than to have their world altered

their customs questioned.

Easier to keep the blinkers on than face the light,

the discomfort of truth,

Your truth. Living truth.

They even nailed a label to your cross.

Just above the thorns of a bloody crown.

King of the Jews, it said.

Label. Laugh. Turn away. Forget.

Is that what I do, Lord?

The mockery of quick judgement

that takes fear as evidence,

prejudice as reason.

That shoots on sight

and leaves the bleeding body of truth

dead in a ditch.

And close my eyes, lest I remember.

Lord, when I meet someone new,

someone who threatens me by his strangeness,

whose presence asks for adjustments,

whose ideas don’t mesh with mine

and which shake the assumptions I wear

like a favourite jacket shaped to my comfort,

then help me to look,

not for his label, but for his humanity.

Not to close my mind, but to open my heart,

and see your presence in him.

Let me see you not just in my comfortable friends,

but in the eyes of strangers around me.

And Lord, help me to see

the only label that matters is love.

It’s not always easy to recognise.

Sometimes it looks like a bloody crown.

Eddie Askew (1927 – 2007) Previous General Director of The Leprosy Mission

Posted on by Lesley

Facing Reality

The following excerpt and prayer is from Disguises of Love by Eddie Askew.

As Christians, we must face the reality of the world. We can’t delude ourselves over the activity of evil or pretend that it’s all God’s will. We don’t know why some people suffer much more than others and why some break under it. But we do know that God is with us, even though sometimes we know it only in retrospect. Looking back, we see that, through the suffering, love was at work in one of his many disguises. Love is often hard to recognise, so close to the suffering that he’s hard to identify. So hard that we attribute to him the suffering itself, instead of thanking him for his presence and strength. We can find him in and through the suffering, love’s disguises slowly dissolving as we recognise his presence. Not necessarily justifying the suffering but turning it towards good.

Lord, I spend a lot of time

talking to you about myself.

I have so many needs.

Help me today to think of others.

I pray for people weighed down by worry.

Anxious people, who don’t know where to turn.

Who don’t know whose door to knock on,

bewildered by what life has brought.

Knocked off balance by the suffering and inequality

they meet at every step.

People without choices,

whose only way is down.

Somehow, Lord, in the turmoil of survival,

in the questioning and the doubt,

show yourself to them.

Let them find you, not in the abstract,

not in the smooth words of the practised preacher,

but in a hand held out to help.

In shared tears, and in the silence

that says everything without words.

May they recognise your purposes for them,

and learn that your will for them is good.

Help us, each one of us,

to face things as they are.

And though the world has forgotten the architect’s plans,

though the builders ignore the blueprint,

and the foundations shake with every pressure,

shelter us with your presence.

Help us to see you at work

not only in the good days

but in the bad,

and to know, beyond doubt,

not through others’ words but our own experience,

that you work together with us.

For good.

Then, Lord, our praise will be real,

our joy deep.

Eddie Askew (1927-2007), former general director of the Leprosy Mission who dedicated his life to the relief of leprosy all over the world.

Posted on by Lesley · 6 Comments

Friendship

Ode to Friendships by Kayla Rae Pich

Friends…

They’re the few people who accept silence over conversation.
A relationship like this denies silly promises and persuasion.

You don’t feel the need to second guess thoughts or measure words.
Their love comes in wholes, not halves, not thirds.

They’re the ones that guide you through when fate takes a turn.
Fights, small and large, end in forgiveness, never a burn.

You forget about first impressions and the feelings they brought.
You’re grateful for who they are and you forgive them for what they’re not.

Success by Edward A Guest

I hold no dream of fortune vast,
Nor seek undying fame.
I do not ask when life is past
That many know my name.

I may not own the skill to rise
To glory’s topmost height,
Nor win a place among the wise,
But I can keep the right.

And I can live my life on earth
Contented to the end,
If but a few shall know my worth
And proudly call me friend.

Alone by Maya Angelou

“Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don’t believe I’m wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.”

Posted on by Lesley

Disguises of Love

Written by Eddie Askew (1927-2007) – former general secretary of The Leprosy Mission.

Lord, there are times

when silence seems best.

And yet, when I’m faced with your love,

even with the little I know, I have to speak.

If nothing else, to say thank you.

I don’t deserve it.

Now there’s an understatement.

Sometimes all I am and do

seems designed to test your love to the limit.

And you go on loving.

Lord, it’s breathtaking. Immense.

I hear your voice, carrying crystal clear over the vast plain,

re-affirming life and presence.

A small point of focus in infinity. Infinity of love.

Great enough for all. Small enough for me.

A love that comes to identify, to tell me I belong.

That comes to strengthen to tell me it’s mine.

That comes to comfort with the knowledge that you care.

A love that comes to challenge and discipline at the point of stress.

That stretches me nearly to breaking point and makes me grow.

That faces me, in searching, insistent strength,

with the pain of truth I’d rather not see.

That strips my illusions and leaves me trembling, naked,

in the cold wind of honesty.

The love that fights me as I struggle to preserve the lies I love

from the buffeting storm of your Spirit.

And through it all,

a love that holds me, firm and close.

Making me aware, in the eye of the cyclone, of your peace.

And in the wind-drop of understanding,

my ears still ringing, eyes still smarting, from the gale,

I recognise our love.

In the glacier wind as in the valley breeze.

Seeing, as in the crackling flash of brief lightning,

brilliant and clear,

some of the disguises of your love.

Lord, I know there’s more,

but I’m not ready for it yet.

Posted on by Lesley · 7 Comments

What I found in my Garden

A couple of weeks ago, I was busy in the garden doing some tidying before the approach of harsher weather, when I encountered this little critter (pictured below) making his way across the lawn (at an alarmingly rapid pace for a caterpillar!). It’s an Elephant Hawkmoth Caterpillar, apparently fairly common in the u.k., though this is only the fourth time in my life that I’ve come across one.

Elephant Hawkmoth Caterpillar

I popped it in a plant pot so I could search for a suitable safe place to put it. The eye markings are false eyes. It puffs itself up to make itself look intimidating, with a good degree of success I think. Last summer, I read in a local newspaper how one family had called the R.S.P.C.A. (Royal Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) to report having found a baby snake. Of course, it was investigated and found to be an Elephant Hawkmoth Caterpillar and was returned to the outdoors. I was amused, but completely understood how it could be mistaken for a baby snake.

Pictured below is a clearer photo from the internet.

Elephant Hawkmoth Caterpillar (picture from Internet)

By now, I hope my little friend is safely cocooned inside its chrysalis, ready for the ongoing winter transformation from caterpillar to moth. Below is a picture of what it will look like.

ELEPHANT HAWKMOTH

You can find more information about Elephant Hawkmoths at the Woodland Trust.

CHRISTINA ROSSETTI (1830 – 1894)