One of those days….

 


Lately, because of a bad knee and the bike needing some repairs, I have been strolling into work. Strolling at a not so early hour but early enough that the day is just beginning and the many people who live in east Oxford and work in the city centre are in the midst of their morning commute. In these many months I have done it quite automatically more concerned with not getting wet, being too cold, being too hot, and being on time to really take notice of more than a few things. But today was different, maybe I was more awake or maybe it was the weather, I noticed more details than usual. In the months since February that I have been doing this on foot commute the sun has changed, it is coming out earlier and earlier, and the street I live on is lusher and lusher, with many hues of green to light my way. The smell of blooming flowers is another thing that accompanied me this morning but what stood out the most was the fact that as I passed through the covered market and then out to cornmarket the city felt as if waking up, with the shopkeepers arriving to open their businesses and the delivery vans unloading the goods. This mundane task along with the spring sun and smells felt quite new today and in this usual rhythm that felt poignantly beautiful a flash of memories and thoughts passed through my mind in a heightened realisation of God’s plentiful caring love. 

Some time ago I decided something for next year and a thousand obstacles popped up to irritate me and make me question the whole idea. In the midst of the greatest doubt I found myself at Blackfriars and Fr Richard Finn was giving a homily on the acts of the apostles. I would link it here but I don’t remember the day of the week or date in which it took place. But what stood out for me was how he spoke of the Acts of the Apostles and Peter’s actions. Reading Acts, he said, one can’t help but notice the many obstacles the apostles faced in taking the Good News to all the corners of the earth. That did not deter them rather they continued conscious that they were not called to act only if they had perfect conditions but to act in the here and now. And so should we act, not waiting or expecting perfect conditions but asking the Holy Spirit to act in our lives in the here and now, going forward with Him in faith. These thoughts have accompanied me lately as things have begun to move forward.

As I walked through the city this morning I remembered this but also all the acts of kindness and generosity shown to me lately by friends near and far. Unexpected acts of kindness and generosity that have made the coming year possible. Remembering them  brought to mind the Hebrews in the desert and how their doubts and lack of trust in God was a recurring theme in Exodus. It is easy to fall into this doubt and lack of trust, I understand the Hebrews, they doubted and lacked faith in spite of witnessing so many miracles. How many of us have not felt exactly as they did? It is too often easy to forget the good moments and only focus on the difficulties. But when I recall the recent kindness of a friend I realise it is God blessing me and providing for me through those in the here and now. That goodness, God’s blessings that He regularly showers on us are there but it is easy to miss them if we don’t look carefully, easy to forget them when faced with obstacles, and so we must do as the apostles did, go forward in faith, calling the Holy Spirit into our here and now, and to remind us that HE is there every moment, blessing our daily lives.



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