More Tidying Up

As I have gone round the house clearing up, preparatory to the move which is going to happen in God’s good time, I’ve realised that there are many things which I’ve kept from my past. Some of these things are precious in a sentimental way and are to be treasured, but many are things which I’d forgotten all about.

I’ve recently sent to the rubbish dump my fencing foils and mask, now rusty and beyond use, kept since my drama school days, a pair of point shoes from ballet classes and the toy dog, who had lost all his fur, which my father brought back for me from Berlin, where he’d found it lying unloved in the rubble, towards the end of the War.

That made me wonder how many things from our past lives cling to us as habits we have grown up with. They’ve become so much a part of us that we fail to recognise that we still have them, even though we’re now walking with Jesus and wanting to show Him in our lives.

I was reading a book recently entitled ‘Sitting at the feet of Rabbi Jesus’ by Anne Spangler and Lois Tverberg, which talked of having a ‘good eye’ when we speak of other people. That means seeing the best in them, not judging, and not passing on the latest piece of gossip about them. Instead of judging people, which I know I do far too often, we should instead think good of them as we have no idea of their situation.

For example, if they refuse to shake your hand in church, it may have nothing to do with their personal feelings about you, but just that they are feeling tired or upset today. When someone doesn’t offer you a lift in their empty car, perhaps they are on their way to fetch someone else to take them to the doctor’s. There are so many daily situations where we can make a bad judgement about someone, without knowing their circumstances.

Most of us are ‘good’ at making quick judgements, often a habit from our past, and we do it so readily that we don’t even recognise that we’re doing it. Jesus told us to pluck out our eye if it offended. I believe that was a pictorial way of saying that we should look at others with a ‘good eye’ and not allow our own judgement to spoil our view of them.
I wonder what other sins cling to us like burrs, without us noticing.

P.S. The robin I wrote about in my previous Seed has successfully raised her 3 chicks and they have flown the nest. Now there is a blackbird nesting in the clematis outside the front door!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I’m sure there are many habits in my life which aren’t pleasing to You. In Your loving kindness, would You please point them out to me so that I can deal with them? Please give me a teachable spirit and enable me to grow more like Jesus in all I do. Thank You, Father, Amen.