Taking time out!

It's been a funny (strange!) old day.  Yesterday, I had sent two separate e-mails (in beautiful French, of course) to the garage in which my car had lain for a full two months.  I had expected a reply by, at least, this morning.  However, I had no internet connection when I awoke, and had to wait until about 1.00 p.m. before I was able to be re-connected!  Then, when I checked my e-mails, there was no message from the garage!

I sent off another e-mail and, praise the Lord, it was eventually answered with the wonderful news that the car was now ready for collection!  My friend Emeline drove me to Audincourt - and I was able to drive myself back! :-)  Tomorrow, I leave L'Isle and start the journey home - unfortunately without my navigator of more than 40 years!  It could be an interesting trip!

It was while I was awaiting the internet connection that I realised how totally helpless I was in this situtation.  I was, in a very real sense, completely dependent upon others - and had been for my time here.  Yet the time wasn't entirely wasted.  There is no doubt that the extent of my French vocabulary has improved, as has my spoken French (although I am still a long way away from anything resembling fluency!).  And I, who am usually such an active person, have been obliged to 'take things easy' in a way that would probably not have happened otherwise.

That's not a bad thing.  There is a well-known story about a man who is strolling through the woods when he hears a sawing noise. Investigating, the nature-lover sees another man perspiring profusely as he attempts to cut down a large tree."What are you doing?" the observer asks.   "I'm cutting down this tree, can't you see?" is the response."No, I mean, it looks like you have been working hard. How long have you been doing this?"   "Two hours."  "Why don't you take some time to sharpen the saw? It will make things go much faster and easier." "I don't have time to do that - I've got to cut down this tree"!!!

Sometimes, we simply have to take 'time out'.  Even the Almighty took time to rest after the wonder of Creation (Gen.2:2).   He gave the original command to have one day in seven as a day of rest and recuperation (Ex.20:8) - and not as a restriction, because later Jesus declared that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark.2:27).

Jesus demonstrated this need to take time to 'sharpen the saw' as He often went off to a solitary place, there to spend time in prayer, and in a close communion with the Father - and that in spite of the many demands that were being made upon Him!   So, I guess that if He needed to take time to rest, we ought to do the same - being careful not to go to the other extreme of doing nothing at all!

Holidays!

Well, it's that time of the year again, when my dear wife and I head off on what is referred to, by some of our friends, as our "annual pilgrimage to France"!

The caravan is hitched to the car, and we are just about ready to head off early (!!) tomorrow morning. Of course, we have no regular internet access, so posts may be few and far between over the next six weeks!

Holidays are actually very important. The human body is very finely tuned, and it needs periods of rest and recuperation if it is going to function to its best ability. Mind you, not everyone is blessed with the length of holiday that we get, and we are truly grateful for the opportunity that we have.

Some of the time will be spent (DV) in visiting friends of long standing, but whom we are only able to see occasionally. That's another important aspect of human life. "No man is an island ..." wrote John Donne, and he was absolutely correct. We are, by nature, social creatures who need other people. It is sad that, in an age when many - at least in 'the West' - have more time, money, travel opportunities, private transport, and the like, that so many depend on social websites such as Facebook and Bebo for their friendships! There are some I have seen with hundreds of "friends" - but it seems that many of those "friends" are people whom they have never actually met, and with whom they have no relationship outwith the social networking site.

Of course, the Bible tells us the human beings are created in the image of God - not in any physical way ("God is Spirit" - Jn.4:24) - and we discover that God is relational. He is, in Christian, Biblical theology, Three-in-One, and One-in Three. {For a fuller treatment of the Doctrine of the Trinity, I suggest a visit to my blog at www.revcbross.blogspot.com}. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in perfect relationship; pefect harmony; perfect unity.

The Bible also teaches us that, having created all that is, God rested (Gen.2:2); and Jesus - God the Son, in human flesh - often drew aside from the crowds to pray, and rest.

I am aware of those who have claimed that "It is better to burn out, than to rust", and would agree that there is an element of truth in that saying. However, I also believe that we need to live balanced lives - providing that we are doing all things to the glory of God.

So, as we head off, I trust that all of my readers will have the opportunity for some rest over the coming weeks - whether at home, or further afield. It's an opportunity to 'recharge the batteries' for the coming winter's work. May each of us be refreshed, renewed, and reinvigorated - and all to His glory.