Hi Readers.
Yes…summer is here, people are walking past the Manse in shorts and T shirts, and the garden is growing at double speed. Our flimsy pagoda (posh word for big trellis thingy) has bloomed from spartan wood to a veritable jungle, and I can even see grapes starting to form. Mrs McManus, knowing I am allergic to gardening and other forms of DIY, yesterday went out and chopped the ‘extra’ bits off. I am not a gardener, so cannot explain, but if we don’t get rid of the extra bits, they turn into waste, and hinder the good stuff, i.e. grapes, growing.
Now there are a whole lot of symbolism I could think of here, particularly linked to John 15 in the Bible. But what is on my heart is something sometimes called ‘affluenza’, the disease of always wanting more (covetousness).
How about looking at you, your stuff. We all have clutter, especially me, but it is surprising what might be waste, and stopping us from growing.
My mobile phone broke last week. Initially I thought this was SO important, more important than all ‘the grapes’, and I simply couldn’t do without this slab of plastic. Well, what happened is one of my favourite words. I ‘adjusted’. From reacting to the instant world in my pocket, I had to look and listen to real people, think about the immediate world around me, and I even started to read more quality books.
What I thought was vital had turned into waste, was restricting my growth, and needed trimming.
So…how about chopping off some waste stuff this summer, and just enjoy the sun in your shorts and T shirt!
Blessings, Pastor Andy