From our September 2 edition
THE summer is over (what summer?) and things are back into a routine again. Various organisations are starting up and looking for old and new members and for volunteers too, to help run them. The children are back at school.
And the days are getting shorter.
It’s being so cheery that keeps me going!
It’s as the seasons change that you become most aware of the natural cycle of life and how quickly and relentlessly it keeps going.
If you have children, that sense of time flying by is exacerbated by the baby becoming a toddler, then going to school, then moving onto secondary and before you know it, suddenly, they’re up and off on their own.
I didn’t intend to be so depressing when I started to type this! In fact though, growing children and changing seasons should remind us, not just of how short life is, but even more importantly, they should remind us that the life we have is meant for living.
These days that tends to be interpreted as being an invitation to see how many "experiences" an individual can fit into their schedule. For me, however, living life to the full is not so much about completing a personal bucket list of wishes and dreams, as it is about recognising the opportunities there are to make a difference for the better to the world around me and choosing to try to do so, not for the kudos, but simply in recognition of the fact that the life I live is an incredibly generous gift.
As someone who tries to adhere to the Christian faith, the additional spiritual dimension that faith brings to life finds me wanting to give thanks to the Giver – but then acknowledging a Giver means that life carries certain responsibilities with it, as well as joys.
It means life has to be treasured. Cherished. And the one responsible for it, given His place.
It means my life ought to reflect the faith I hold onto.
And that can be hard.
I really wish I didn’t ever get anything wrong. I really wish I was always there for people, always helpful and kind and patient and understanding. I really wish I was always generous and caring and sympathetic – always smiling and happy and full of faith.
But I’m not. Sometimes I am the opposite of all these things.
So why put myself under all that pressure to try to be and to do better? Am I not making life more difficult for myself? Why not just ditch the idea of God?
Because cracked and broken as I am, my faith gives me hope and every bit as importantly, it gives me the courage to keep on trying.
Each of us has to find our own way through life. I’m just saying that for me, faith offers an added and enriching dimension however quickly or slowly the days pass. It offers too, for me, a deep sense of companionship on a journey that can, at times, be rough. Just sayin’. Thanks for reading –
Susan Brown.
