Of bread and mince pies!

This afternoon, I visited one of "my" Police Stations - to discover that major refurbishment work has started, and that a lot of the car-park is out of action.  It was obvious that, with one shift about to start work, and another one not due to finish for a couple of hours, there was not going to be a space for me!

I drove around for a few minutes, but was unable to find a place to park legally!  However, next door to the Police Station is the Fire Station!  It just happened that, when delivering mince pies and Ginger Cordial to my on-duty officers on Christmas morning, I noticed two appliances outside the Fire Station, with a number of Fire Officers in attendance.  I decided to stop and, without any ulterior motive, gave them a couple of boxes of mince pies!  They were very grateful and, I have now discovered, informed the police accordingly!

Anyway, I had noticed that there seemed to be adequate parking space behind the Fire Station so, having parked carefully, and set up the little notice that identifies me, and provides my mobile 'phone number, I went to the front office and asked if I could leave my car there for an hour or so!  There was no problem!  Parking situation solved!

In the book of Ecclesiastes, in the Old Testament, we read "Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days." (11:1; RSV).  That may be interpreted as saying that whatever one does comes back to one!  As my late Granny would have put it, "What goes around, comes around!"  Of course, she would also have pointed out that we give, not to get, but simply for the joy of giving.  Giving to get, she would have insisted, is not giving at all - it's bargaining, or investing!

Paul reminded the Ephesian elders of an otherwise unrecorded saying of the Lord Jesus: "In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (Acts 20:35;RSV); while Matthew records these words of the Saviour: "Give as freely as you have received! " (Matt 10:8; NLT).  And, of course, in the greatest example of selfless giving, we have the words of John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (RSV).

I suppose that, if I were to paraphrase those words in Ecclesiastes from a personal perspective I might, after today, write "cast your mince pies upon the waters for, after many days, you will receive a parking spot."!  However, the important thing is that we give, freely.  In that way, we may emulate the Father Who is in heaven.

It's only a smile!

This afternoon, as I returned from walking my grandson to his Nursery School, I saw a lady walking towards me.  She was using a walking-stick, and was moving relatively slowly.  However, what struck me was her "soor face"!  It may have been, of course, that she was in physical pain; she may just have just realised that she had thrown out a purse - full of cash - with yesterday's rubbish; she may have received news of the death of a close friend.  But she had a soor face!

As we drew almost level with one another, I did something that she may not have expected; something that I have to confess to doing regularly; something that cost me absolutely nothing (yet, some experts claim, did me some good!).  Yes, I smiled at her!  And, believe it or not, that soor face broke into a smile back at me!  I would like to think that, if she met anyone else in the following ten minutes, there might have been traces of that smile still apparent!

A smile is such a simple thing.  Even the smallest of infants can manage to produce one - as can the oldest of the old.  Some of my former pupils still recall the last bit of advice I would offer as they left the classroom at the end of the period: "Keep smiling; and be happy!"  It's a matter of the will!   My granny - a woman of little formal education, but with a fund of "homespun philosophy" often told me "You die if you worry; you die if you don't.  So why worry and have wrinkles, when you can smile and have dimples?"

One of the wonderful things about a smile is that, it not only costs us nothing, but we never run out of them!  No matter how many smiles I give, I always have another one available for the next person I meet!

I can't think of any Biblical references to smiling, but there are plenty of associated thoughts.  Solomon assures us that "A cheerful heart is a good medicine," (Prov 17:22; RSV).  After the dedication of the temple, by the same king Solomon, we read that "... he sent the people away to their homes, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that the Lord had shown to David and to Solomon and to Israel, His people." (II Chron 7:10; RSV).  James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus writes "Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise." (James 5:13; RSV).

So, why not make a personal resolution that, each day, you will smile at everyone you meet - even while merely walking in the street!?  The very least that will happen is that you will feel better - and, who knows, you might just bring a smile to another "soor face"!

God works in a mysterious way!

Not a Councillor - but still very much a "political animal", and keeping an eye on the situation here in the UK.  And there is much to watch!  The Local Council elections gave the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer some serious food for thought (or should that be "some food for serious thought"?!).  I suppose that the Deputy PM has some deep thinking to do as well - but let's not waste time and space on nonentities!

According to today's various news reports, Messrs Cameron and Osborne are taking a great deal of flak from both their back-benchers and their supporters around the country.  The very poor showing of the Conservative Party on Thursday is being blamed on the (Liberal) policies that the Coalition Government is seen as having espoused.  To many, it has been a case of the tail wagging the dog!

The response has been, to say the least, interesting. Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, on BBC television, Mr Osborne indicated that  the controversial reforms of the House of Lords, and plans for homosexual/lesbian marriage were being kicked into the long grass. Yet, not so long ago, Mr Cameron was passionately supporting the latter - even at a meeting of senior clergy!

Personally, I am totally in favour of reforming the Upper Chamber in Westminster.  I would immediately throw out every single one of the jumped-up Prescotts, Kinnocks, and other so-called "Life Peers", and all of those who, regardless of their background, have been found guilty of fraud or any other crime.  I would then re-instate the hereditary Lords, on the one condition that no-one would be permitted to be connected to any political party.  In that way, I believe, we would achieve an independent Upper House, with all of the life experience that many of these noble Lords and Ladies are able to bring to debate.  I know that there have been many times, in the long and distant past, when I have been so glad to have an unelected Chamber of hereditary Peers who were able to inject what is, in our political circles, that most rare of commodities - common-sense - into debate, and frustrate the stupidity of the elected representatives (usually representing themselves!) in the House of Commoners!

As far as the proposals anent the redefinition of the God-ordained institution of marriage as between a man and a woman, to the exclusion of all others, for life, is concerned, I hope that the Scottish Government will take the hint as well.  I have already e-mailed Mr Salmond to inform him that the SNP support for this redefinition lost him my First Preference vote on Thursday.  Okay, so I would have given myself that vote in any case - but the SNP didn't even receive my Second Preference!

God does work in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.  Could it be that the results on Thursday were actually His means of having this proposal taken out of play?  It will be interesting to hear the Queen's Speech (actually, the Government's Speech, read by HM!) on Wednesday!   I only know that He is the Sovereign God, Whose plans and purposes shall come to pass - regardless of political parties and/or personalities.  All praise and glory to His Name.

Election result!

Well, I'm not a Councillor! Still, as many are aware, there is a real sense of relief as, if I had been (miraculously!) elected, I would have had to re-think some other plans! It was, of course, always a possibility: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says YHWH. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9).

I believe that His will has been accomplished, and am satisfied with that. I will eventually receive a run-down of all the votes cast for me - even if I was 9th Preference - and will probably share for anyone who might be interested!!! In the meantime, a very sincere "Thank you" to those who did make me their First Preference. I don't know who they are (apart from eligible family members, and a few friends) - but the Lord does, and I am sure that He will reward each of them in His own way.

Dwelling in unity.

Well, it's now almost an hour since the polls closed - no more votes may be cast; the die is set!  By tomorrow afternoon, most of the results of the local Council elections will have been made public.

I suspect that I have been the most laid-back candidate in the country!  Well, I am certainly unaware of anyone else who went off on holiday two weeks before polling day, and only returned on the evening before the elections!  Of course, I have been in the happy position of not having to worry about whether or not I am elected.  As I have stated before, in simple human terms, I have absolutely no chance.  I did no real campaigning other than attend a couple of hustings (a late arrival at the first!); provide a short piece for each of the two local newspapers (as every candidate was invited to do); and pass out some home-printed leaflets to near neighbours and to some carefully selected friends.

For me to be elected would require nothing short of a miracle!  Of course, I do believe in miracles, and in the God of miracles.  If it is His will that I be a North Lanarkshire Councillor for the next four years, I will seek to fulfil my duties to the best of my ability.  But if I am not elected, I will not be shedding any tears!

This afternoon and early evening were spent in visiting each of the Polling Places within the Ward, and spending some time in each - talking with the helpers of other Candidates, and with a couple of the Candidates themselves.  We represented different political Parties - on certain issues, miles apart in policy - but we were able to chat in a friendly fashion, with not even a hint of rancour.

As I drove away from one Polling Place, I found myself thinking how different it sometimes is within the Body of Christ!  How often I have witnessed those who are supposed to share a common faith - belong to the same Party, in political terms - almost at each other's throats!  How quick we sometimes are to accentuate the things about which we differ, while setting to the side the things that we have in common.  How afraid we often seem to be to even appear to be compromising our own particular standpoint.

As I shook the hands of two young, Asian background, SNP supporters; as I chatted with Labour activists; as I listened to the tales of woe of a supporter of one of the Independent Candidates; I didn't, for one moment, compromise my own Christian beliefs and values.  Why is it so difficult to take the same attitude with those who claim to follow, and worship, and serve, the same Christ Who is my own Saviour and Lord?

The Psalmist wrote: "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers (and sisters!) dwell in unity! ... ... For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life for evermore." (Ps.133:1,3).

Could it be that the Church is missing out on blessing simply because we are not dwelling in unity?!