Reactions

Reactions

Yesterday was a strange day. Our anniversary. The day began with John opening his present  – a sundial. It took half an hour to figure out how to put it together and then when he finally took it out into the garden the sun had gone in. Later I discovered it outside the summerhouse pointing defiantly to 3 when it was in fact 9 am. This is going to be an on-going process.

We set off for a favourite garden near York , only to find it was closed so we had lunch in Ripon before going to Fountains Abbey. In Ripon I wandered into a charity shop and there among a pile of discarded china was a beautiful carved cross. About a foot high and with the words of the Lord’s Prayer carved into it. It now resides on our mantel piece, but what was it doing in the shop?  The person who donated it obviously had little regard for it – or perhaps little for what it represents. Too many people push Christ and his sacrifice aside.

At the abbey I was able to go into the  church , and despite all the people, say a quiet prayer.

I thought back to when I became a Christian. A friend read John 3 v 16 and then asked me to read it – but to put my name in there  - so I read ‘For God so loved Margaret that he gave his only Son so that she might have eternal life. Such an action demanded a reaction on my part and I have been living with that ever since – my reaction to God’s act of love.  

The people who push Christ out – they are perhaps frightened because they don’t want to make such a commitment. It would mean changes  - putting Christ first, doing what he wants with their lives.   

John’s present to me was a wonderful study Bible. Not perhaps a devotional one as there are just too many references, illustrations, comments  - distractions perhaps. That was my first thought. Then in bed last night I flicked through it. I began with Genesis. The footnote begins – The Bible makes no apologies or explanations for the presence of God. He is there. I looked up several familiar passages, then , time almost up, I just let the pages flick and some words jumped out ‘You are a priest forever.’ from Hebrews 7 v 17 . I know it refers to Christ , and of course I don’t for one minute wish to take on what is his. But nevertheless the Lord really spoke to me through these words.