Chocolate n Lace Weekend

It was a really good weekend. It was a very feminine 'spa' weekend and still the mystery of what God can do in the heart of a woman to satisfy her deepest longings was explored in depth in different ways.

We heard several testimonies of the working of God and His drawing power in the life of lost wanderers. One powerful story was from a youngish woman, whose life had been messed up living alone, abused, without God in the world but He called her and she gladly came. Later she told me she had never told her story before and possibly never will again. What a priviledge to see and hear what God can do in those unloved and unlovely around us.

On Saturday morning my ‘rent-a-crowd’ from Opawa arrived and I was very grateful to see a familiar face, thank you. We prayed with several people over the weekend and one in particular stays in my heart and prayers because God CAN make a difference in the lives of those who are willing for it; after all, just look at the lives of Ruth and Rahab!

Lemsip?

I made James a Lemsip last night.
It was a blackcurrant flavoured Lemsip.
Tell me, can it still be called a LEMsip?

Guest Speakers

The Guest Speaker at our Glenroy Women's Weekend
with the Guest Speaker at Wainui this Weekend.

Reaching for the Streamers

I have been on a journey since Aunty Annie’s funeral. It was actually a wonderful time meeting again all my lovely cousins; it is great to be related to such a nice bunch of people even if I seldom meet them!

However this ache of not having seen it coming, even though I saw her often and knew she was very old, would not go away.

So God in His mercy has opened up the reason and I have in prayer revisited it. You see, neither did I see my Mother’s death coming. It was sudden; I was unprepared and had no skills to handle it. Grief was ignored in those days one simply got over it.

I have seen myself again this week as I stood by Mum’s bed trying in vain to wake her up; it was probably good to linger there for a while even so many years later.

I think the Maori people grieve so much better than us ~ especially as we did it years ago. They sit by the person for days, talking to them or about them, not even trying to be brave and stoic but letting their love and grief flow. It must feel so much better.

Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus; even real men do weep being real! John 11.

Aunty Annie left a poem to the effect to ‘weep for me but not too much.’ I have done just that this week and for her eldest sister too.

God Speed Aunty Annie!

In days long ago when the main way to travel the world was by sea, like as long ago as the 1960s (!) one went to the dock, said farewells and watched loved ones going aboard. They disappeared for a while, until you saw them again leaning over the rails searching for you. When their eyes caught yours they threw a long coloured streamer for you to catch. You held your end, they held their end and you remained attached until the ship left the dock and your streamers became taut and quickly broke. The colour and fun eased the pain of parting, or was meant to.

You stood on the dock for a long time holding your broken streamer, watching the vessel with its valuable passenger sail out of sight. As it went over the horizon someone always said, “There she goes!” and you went home to continue life without the presence of the one you loved.

This was often the scene when people were travelling between Britain and New Zealand. Sometimes when the boats were arriving in Southampton, England, people stood on the dock waiting for the boat to appear. When she came into sight people would say to each other “Here she comes” and await with joy the coming of their beloved.

Without us preparing the streamers or being given a chance to stand on the dock and catch them, this scene has been played out in our extended family this week and foolishly I hadn’t seen it coming!

My mother died over 40 years ago. In her place I had Aunts.

This week Aunty Annie left us; she was still holding her wool and crochet hook.

On Tuesday we must say, “There she goes” on another shore others will be standing saying, “Here she comes!” They will celebrate for sure this faithful and wise saint.

Her immediate family rejoices and celebrates her life, it is right that they should. But I didn’t see it coming; I didn’t hold a streamer.

I will miss her sorely. My mistake was to think she would live forever……. and of course she will, but on another shore.