A (short) thought for Mothers Day

My kids listen to the Australian singer Colin Buchanan in the car. He writes Christian music for children and it's very catchy (most of it). Lets face it, at this point in their lives they have no say in what they listen to, and I quite like this too! One of their favourite songs is called 'The Chooky and her chickies' (I did mention he's Australian didn't I?) Not least because the song involves lots of clucking like a chicken. So they get to be silly while learning a lovely truth about God- that he loves us like a mother hen loves her chicks. What a beautiful and motherly image. 

So in the words of Colin:

So if you're sad and sorry

Or if you're feeling worried

I suggest you hurry

To the shelter of God's wings.

 

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
Matthew 23

My heart is not proud, Lord,
    my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
    or things too wonderful for me. 

 But I have calmed and quieted myself,
    I am like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child I am content.

Psalm 131

Happy Endings

I am addicted to happy endings. Ask my family and they will tell you that I have never wanted to watch or read anything in the least bit sad, scary or gruesome. I don't need tragedy or even realism in my fiction, thank you, there is plenty of that in the newspaper and on my doorstep. I studied English Literature at uni and I will tell you now that I love Jane Austen and loathe Thomas Hardy.

These days my reading is a bit lighter. I am currently hooked on a series of detective novels, what my mum likes to call 'cosy crime.' No gruesome details or serial killers, just a formulaic story where the heroine/detective hunts down the bad guys. She may get robbed or coshed on the head along the way, and her trusty assistant will have some struggles too, but I know she's going to survive and get the baddies because there's a sequel. And I've read a few now and that's how they go.

There is something very comforting about these stories. They create order out of chaos and answer a need in me- and I am sure not just me. Look how fairy tales and Disney sell us happy endings. 'And they all lived happily ever after.' Usually after a wedding day. But weddings aren't endings, they are beginnings. So where are all the real happy endings? Actually, can anyone show me just one?

You have probably noticed that Easter is on its way. (I have some mini creme eggs next to me, please don't tell Harry!) Last week I was helping in Sunday School, and I was able to watch the faces of Harry and his little friend as they heard the first part of the Easter story. The part that is hard to listen to, where Jesus is mocked, whipped, spat upon and ultimately crucified. I should say, the teacher told it very well and appropriately but I wanted to watch Harry as he is such a 'happy ending' kind of guy. Even some of cbeebies is too scary for him. And his friend got upset at storytime at our house when the big bad wolf landed in the three pigs' dinner. I found myself reassuring him that the wolf wasn't hurt, he just learned his lesson so that he won't eat any more little pigs. So you can understand that I wanted to see how they would take this story. And they clearly were not happy these things were done to Jesus.  But their teacher was able to say to them, 'don't worry, this story has a happy ending.'

Here's the thing. We haven't got to the end yet. And if you trust in Jesus, you believe in the best, truest happy ending ever. And if you don't know him yet, you can have this happy ending just by reaching out and taking the gift of forgiveness from Jesus. It does mean dropping everything that you are holding on to, but it is worth it.

As people who trust in Jesus, our endings are as certain as those of the novels I read. As certain as Poirot gathering all the suspects together at the end of a case. As certain as Jane Austen's heroines getting the man of their dreams. And much, much better. Here is what the Bible has to say about our future.

 Therefore they are before the throne of God,
    and serve him day and night in his temple;
    and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 

 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
    the sun shall not strike them,
    nor any scorching heat.

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
    and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

 And I am back to talking about heaven again. I recently read this in a Bible study and was enchanted with it:

Its from Revelation 7. I particularly love this translation (ESV) and this is why: I have talked about heaven before, about how there will be no more suffering, no illness, no pain. Those things are important and are present in this passage too, but the really amazing thing about heaven will be to be in the presence of Jesus. To be able to stand before God. And we see this here. To be sheltered by God's presence. How wonderful.

Now I think I need to go and finish my book. And maybe the chocolate.

Pirates and meerkats

                 
                     I had always felt life first as a story; and if there is a story there is a story-teller.
                                 G.K. Chesterton


Yesterday I went to a creative workshop run by a talented friend of mine, and spent the evening printing fabric. I cannot paint or draw even if my life depended on it and usually avoid anything like this, but these evenings are great because I get to borrow my friend's creative talents for an evening and actually make something, and it feels good.

I seem to be around a lot of people who are great at creating and making stuff. Maybe it's an east London thing. And it got me thinking about how our talents reflect God's image. When we create we are reflecting something of the original Creator. In an earlier post I shared some of the funny things my kids had said about God. My favourite remains Harry saying that God made people because 'he likes to play that.' And why not? If we are all made in God's image then surely a child with playdough shows us something about God's nature too. On a visit to the zoo at the weekend it occurred to me what fun it must have been to make a meerkat.

Despite my best efforts my children are not crafty. They quite like a bit of painting and sticking boxes together here and there, but what they are both driven to do is to imagine, to pretend.  This morning they were dressed as pirates and simultaneously acting out the three little pigs. And this too reflects their Maker, after all we know Jesus was a master story-teller. The quotation that I opened this post with is from a brilliant writer.  While I am enjoying learning to sew, print etc. I know I will never be great at it. But writing this blog has made me remember how much I used to enjoy writing, and how it really is a creative and pleasing process for me. Yes I admit it, I used to like writing essays at school!

Apparently in Heaven it won't all be sitting around on clouds, there will be work to do. I suspect, I hope, that those talents we have- whether we get to use them now or not- will suddenly be put to full use. I suspect that to work will feel good.