I changed my routine this morning...so Morning Prayer over, a quick 10 mins on the exercise bike and followed by...a reluctant stint of ironing. I've decided...I don't like ironing! What does your ironing basket look like? My Mother-in-law used to love ironing. It was always tackled as it happened, no piling up in a basket or stashed away in a dark cupboard. No, she would iron everything; sheets, shirts, underwear and even socks. I know some people who go to the opposite extremes and don't iron a thing. I've tried to get away with it, folding things carefully when I hang them up to dry or folding instantly when I empty the tumble dryer. But I see the creases. Funny, isn't it, that I don't see other people's creases? Not even on those who profess not to iron! Anyway, I needed a clergy shirt and they were all in the ironing basket and I'm pleased to say that they are all now crease-free and in the wardrobe.
Ironing is something that nowadays runs in the family as two of my sisters and my brother all have their own ironing shop busineses. I don't know how they do it, day in and day out...ironing. I only do it when I run out of shirts and couldn't imagine ironing everyday. It's strange really, because I enjoy most things and there is very little that I try to avoid.
There are, however, some things in life where the thought of it is worse than the actual doing. When I was studying, assignments were definitely one of those things. I worked out that I have spent 19 years of my adult life studying one subject or another. Having left school with no qualifications, I spent many happy years steadily going to night class. I loved the study and the discipline of the reading and research but the thought of the assignments, complete with the deadlines were daunting. I would do anything to avoid it...clean the bathroom, sort out my wardrobe, anything. But then it happened and I would begin. Every single time, it was better than I hoped, enjoyable even. I would always ask myself why didn't I start it sooner? Why did I leave it until the last minute? Why didn't I give myself the time to do more with it? Sound familiar? I don't know why we do things like that to ourselves. You know, give ourselves unnecessary stress...when really it is just the thought of it.
Is there anything in your life that you tend to put off? Or do you worry about things that might never happen? I've often wondered how those first 72 disciples must have felt about the prospect of being sent out after being told that they were 'being sent like lambs among wolves' and with 'no purse or beggar's bag or shoes' (Luke 10:3-4) They did it though, they got through it and if we read further on in Luke's gospel we read that they 'came back with great joy' (v17) We are living through worrying times. Life isn't normal for us anymore. However, the time is coming soon when we will be able to leave the confines of our homes and venture back out into the big wide world and normality will resume...whatever normal will look like. The new 'normal' is currently the unknown to us. The very thought of it is probably much worse than the doing of it. A bit like my assignments.
There are, however, some things in life where the thought of it is worse than the actual doing. When I was studying, assignments were definitely one of those things. I worked out that I have spent 19 years of my adult life studying one subject or another. Having left school with no qualifications, I spent many happy years steadily going to night class. I loved the study and the discipline of the reading and research but the thought of the assignments, complete with the deadlines were daunting. I would do anything to avoid it...clean the bathroom, sort out my wardrobe, anything. But then it happened and I would begin. Every single time, it was better than I hoped, enjoyable even. I would always ask myself why didn't I start it sooner? Why did I leave it until the last minute? Why didn't I give myself the time to do more with it? Sound familiar? I don't know why we do things like that to ourselves. You know, give ourselves unnecessary stress...when really it is just the thought of it.
Is there anything in your life that you tend to put off? Or do you worry about things that might never happen? I've often wondered how those first 72 disciples must have felt about the prospect of being sent out after being told that they were 'being sent like lambs among wolves' and with 'no purse or beggar's bag or shoes' (Luke 10:3-4) They did it though, they got through it and if we read further on in Luke's gospel we read that they 'came back with great joy' (v17) We are living through worrying times. Life isn't normal for us anymore. However, the time is coming soon when we will be able to leave the confines of our homes and venture back out into the big wide world and normality will resume...whatever normal will look like. The new 'normal' is currently the unknown to us. The very thought of it is probably much worse than the doing of it. A bit like my assignments.
Look at the birds of the air;
they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
And can any of you by worrying
add a single hour to your span of life?
they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
And can any of you by worrying
add a single hour to your span of life?
Matthew 6:26-27
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