It is that time of year I think. Christmas is a far away thought of the past. New Year's Resolutions are teetering on the brink. Money is tighter - even if it isn't, there isn't really that much to do with any spare money. It's really cold outside so that leaving the house is not as pleasant as it might be. Then there is the darkness, it's dark when you get up and dark when you go to bed. Even on a more global level, times seem dark and confusing.
This time of year can be a sort of downtime. Time to get a bit down sometimes. I was speaking to someone who got through this time of year by planning all their holidays and breaks for the year ahead. "Gives me something to look forward to." That's nice. But I was thinking, what if this blah time was a blessing. What if it was time-out from the rest of the year. There is, for many people a space here. Maybe nothing that NEEDS to be planned for quite yet. Nothing outstanding, nothing to write home about. I was reading in one of the Gospels about Jesus' ministry and was struck by how much travelling from village to village he did.
Luke 8The Message (MSG)
He continued according to plan, travelled to town after town, village after village, preaching God’s kingdom, spreading the Message.
I sometimes have a vague idea in my head about him almost being mobbed by different groups of people as he wandered around a couple of places. (I understand I should read my Bible better - don't write in) But I realised that, between the high level healings, and temple arguments and just downright Messiah like happenings, there was lots of planned walking between villages. Going from place to place. Sometimes they were met by the needy but then they would carry on. Just normal times. Talking, laughing, eating, going about their work, possibly being a bit low, a bit puzzled. Just life - with Jesus.
These are maybe the in-between times and they are just as important as the "happening times". I looked at January and thought "Quiet nights, blankets, candles, books, TV catch up, eating out of the freezer - not much else really".
As it turns out, we have a couple of events in January and February but besides these, we are slow and we are quiet. And it is ok being just that.
Totally agree. It's the one time of the year when nothing much actually needs to be done, and one can enjoy the not-doing.
ReplyDeleteBut the garden lurks, waiting for the day when I will have to go out and start preparing beds for beans and things. Not yet, though.
I am banned from doing anything in our small yard apart from sitting in it. I have fingers of destruction rather than green fingers.
DeleteThere's a verse in John 10;22, in the middle of Jesus talking about his sheep, where the writer throws in the phrase "and it was winter". That's fascinated me since childhood [but I always have to look up the reference, I too need to be better at Bible Study] Your post reminded me of that. There's a tendency to picture Jesus always sitting on sunny Palestinian hillsides, trudging hot dusty roads, watching the sparkling waters of Galilee, etc etc.
ReplyDeleteMy big January event is on Thursday when I fly to Albania. Thrilled at the prospect of meeting lots of Christian women at their WWDP conference. Terrified of flying in foggy wintry weather. Isaiah 40;31 is my verse this week. Zoti Ju Bokofte, my friend!!
And unto you and your camels my friend! Wow, big adventure. Praying for a safe journey and an amazing time.
DeleteThank you x
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