Whenever we camp particularly at New Wine, Lucy and I find ourselves thinking about the baggage we carry. It is a long way from our tent back to the car. Could we travel with less? And we note that at home we have so much more and yet we have coped perfectly well without it. How can we simplify our lives.
Keep it simple, stupid. This was the old proverb about focusing on what matters, about travelling light, about letting go of the unnecessary. Revelation 2v4, Remember your first love. Hebrews 12v2 Look to Jesus. Psalm 27 The Lord is my light, my salvation, my stronghold, my shelter, my rock, my song.
But we do complicate things and we add to our baggage. What we want is to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, to inquire and seek His help (Ps27). So this might mean forgiving others, ourselves, even God as we let go of burdens, agendas, and perhaps torches we have carried, and tentatively risk offering up our wounds for healing.
We have packed our tent, snacks, books, sleeping bag, chair, gas, snacks and books. Awake to enjoy a 5.30am dawn, shower, and so ready for the first block of bible teaching at 7.15am, 45 minutes overview of the book of Revelation over the next four days, then big worship (see earlier blog) and shops selling books and T-shirts. Also, here be charities fishing for your prayer and support. One offers to come and do an accessibility audit, another asks you to join their mentoring of children on the edge of school exclusion. It’s all wonderful stuff. It will cost in time and money. It’s a challenge to our plenty full life.
As we leave, we reach the car park with the last of our loads and ask for advice from a car parking attendant volunteer. “I’m eighty”, she explains, describing herself as a mad old bat when clearly in her smile and eyes you can see the love of Jesus. “Funny, you know, doing this has helped me be less shy, more clear and forthright”. Given the idiot parking from some people clearly unaware that another thousand cars need to squeeze by their abandoned car, her comments make sense. “But this job has given me courage to talk to all sorts of people, even on the bus, even about Jesus”.
She has learned the KISS principle.