Average

 

Hello everyone. I am a bit late so I am doing this with one eye on Vera. Someone is dead on a boat this week so Vera has got her blue shoe covers on while she is striding along the beach. 

I hope you had a good week. We are still in January believe it or not. I refer you to the brilliant Brian Bilston

Thirty days hath September

April, June and November

Unless a leap year is its fate, February hath 28

All the rest hath three days more

excepting January 

which hath six thousand, one hundred and eighty-four

It seems like the above for those who got paid early for Christmas. In the past when we had more mouths to feed, we usually did a "Tenner Week" in the weeks after Christmas. We would organise a week where we ate out of the freezer as much as possible and try and find as much free entertainment etc. as possible. Actually, that's not quite as grim as it sounds. Emptying my freezer can be like one of those wafer-thin daytime gameshows perhaps with Ross Kemp saying "In front of you are three freezer bags with unidentified, and possibly unidentifiable contents - your challenge tonight is to put three meals on the table from these freezer bags with only three green peppers, a bag of frozen chips and the services of Raymond Blanc as your Sous Chef to help you." Actually, looking at this - I think it might fly. It's got to be more entertaining than Tipping Point. 

Life, however, at this time of year can leave everyone a bit low. Not that much needs to be going on - unless you are Ukrainian, a nurse/ambulance driver/teacher/(insert any other public service worker) or a small business owner wondering if they have sent you an electricity bill with all the numbers upside down. Some people are affected physically and therefore mentally by the winter but even for the rest of us, there is a kind of drag, where it can seem grey and and you sometimes think that things are just going to stay as they are - it can be easy to lose perspective. Last week Head of House bought some daffs. It's a bit early really so they weren't that impressive - just a few green sticks in a vase, but, in due time they opened up. 

There is sometimes nothing to do but pluckily carry on - nothing too spectacular really. In the words of a small child who was just trying to tell everyone to calm down "Everybody just act average." Janury does finish eventually and although February isn't always that sparkling - at least the mornings are lighter, you get to wear your favourite big coat all the time, Easter Eggs are out if you fancy them and is all else fails - it's at least only 28 days long!

Even though there are many who have much more to worry about - when it is not even black but just an unrelenting grey, it can still be hard not to feel like you are slipping. We need to remember who we are and who we belong to. We sang this, this morning - it is a reminder and a jiggy-upper - things are not always the way we see them. Have a good week.

God, I look to You, and I won't be overwhelmed
Give me vision to see things like You do
God, I look to You, and You're where my help comes from
Give me wisdom, You know just what to do

(Bethel Music)