Luggage Tetris

We took a six hour drive, the rain and friday evening traffic being particularly bad on the way to Worcester to fetch Sam, finishing his year in industry before he returns to Nottingham in September. And then a game of tetris, so to speak, of fitting his boxes into our car. The car filled to bursting. I lost the ability to use the rear view mirror quickly and then a four hour drive back.

I remember a talk when I was training to be a vicar, about time keeping about putting the important things at the top of the list. The lecturer made his point by having a jar with a load of stones and pebbles and rocks. He showed that by starting with the big rocks and then the smaller ones and then smaller that that was the way to get the most out of our day. So what is the important thing?

The collect you will have said in Church today went: Creator God, you made us all in your image: may we discern you in all that we see, and serve you in all that we do; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Its fitting with the parable of the sower who liberally scattered seeds all over the field, even on the path, even where there was rocky ground, even where there was thorns, even on the good soil. I like it because its an instant reminder of the generous goodness of God’s grace. God doesn’t think – Well that path’s a bit flat lets not waste any seed there, but just scatters away. I picture the farmer humming a merry song as he goes about it.

And I remember the persistence of God as I see the bird, the devil, snatching away hope, and the kind thought that its not your fault. When it seems that faith and hope have been snatched away, its not your fault. It happens, cling on to what vestiges of it you can and know that God hasn’t given up on you. Be angry at God, because that in its own way will keep an ember of your faith glowing in the dark. The farmer will be back again and sow again. And I find the rocky ground, where excitedly faith takes root but its not given the chance to really sink in, a lovely reminder that relationships take time and love and not to worry about rushing to fruit, nor about set backs, but to keep at it and those roots will grown.

It was the thorns, in the text, that caught my eye. The fears and pressures and lures of the world. When we try to get all that we feel we should do in the day, then things get pushed out. The jar is only full because we do the small things not the big things first. Its not a question of Jesus Or (fill in with your level of worry and busyness) but rather that through Jesus those worries take on a different shape and priority and concern.

We play luggage tetris and follow the gospel principle of putting first things first, of putting in the big boxes. So when you pack, make sure your bible is there in your carry-on bag. This is about putting God first, prayer and worship first. This is what will help you grow your roots, cope with the lures and worries of the world. They wont go away but you will feel more able, more at peace, and you’ll cope better when you realise that somethings will just have to wait, or to go. Four of us carry bags to the Cancer Research shop and they are lovely and welcoming once we assure them there’s no electrical goods here. But it has been hard saying goodbye to these things that cannot fit in the car but can be a blessing to another. This letting go is also allowing God to shape our day, our priorities, to deepen our roots.

I’m chewing over that phrase may we discern you in all that we see. We stop at a petrol stations. At one, I notice a man in bare feet standing on a short rug that’s at an angle and at the back of a shop selling mobile phone accessories. He’s a muslim and its time for his prayers. Here’s someone who has worked out what’s important to him and even though there’s a crowd of people rushing by, he’s focussed on his prayers. Meanwhile, two urinals away from me, there’s a man who is facetiming some friends, apologising for the slowness of his internet connection. He has decided that friends are that important.  may we discern you in all that we see.

I thank God for His liberal seed sowing and pray for my roots to go a little deeper.

(Photo is of Sam, Tim, Ruth, Abigail, Lucy, and me)