The living is easy?

In the last couple of weeks, we have had the usual mix of weather that goes to make up an English summer. Some days have seen blazing hot sunshine. On others, a whole lot of rain has fallen in a single day.
 
Wimbledon is now past for another year and the Ashes won back from some kind of scratch team from the southern hemisphere.

Days are full of the familiar summer scents of newly-mown grass and barbecue smoke. The jingle of the ice-cream van is heard on every street corner and which of us cannot remember the excitement we felt as school children in those long, lazy days of summer? In summertime, the living really does seem easy.

Yet, day by day, I meet people who – despite the glorious summer sunshine – face real pressures in their lives. Illness, bereavement, relationship issues, rises in the cost of living, sanctions and the bedroom tax. For those in jobs, there are long hours and ever-increasing demands by their employers.

If we carry a picture in our minds that the life that God invites us to lead is only made up of sunshine and roses, the chances are that our faith will be dented by hard times. Yet Jesus warned his followers that they should expect troubles; they should not think that they are protected from all the hardships of life. The bible asks (and then answers!) an interesting question:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship….No! In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  

The writer goes on to say that in all creation there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God found in Jesus. Because of him, we can know that God loves us. Knowing this, we can face – with renewed hope - all that life may throw at us.

So, whether right now the sun is shining for you or the days seem dark, live today in the knowledge that God loves you. That before anyone had first thought of you or spoken your name, you were loved and always will be. 

And, if you get the chance, reach out and show that kind of love and acceptance to someone who is facing darker days.

Anyone for S&M?

The letter arrived on Thursday morning last week.  It was from Scottish Widows plc.

As I am neither Scottish, female or bereaved, you may wonder why. 

Well my pension savings are held by Scottish Widows plc.  They had written to inform me that Scottish Widows plc, along with Scottish Widows Unit Funds Limited and Scottish Widows Annuities Limited would be simplifying their business by transferring all their assets to Clerical Medical Investment Group Limited.

When this is done, they propose to change the name of Clerical Medical investment Group Limited to (wait for it…..) Scottish Widows Limited.

Twenty years ago, I worked on a large capital library building and refurbishment programme.  One of the options we had for fitting out new libraries with shelving was to buy them from a specialist firm called Terrapin Reska Ltd.  Well the years have flown by.  Imagine my surprise when investigating shelving again recently I found that Terrapin Reska Ltd had become (wait for it…) Reska Terrapin Ltd.  But it didn’t stop there.  No sir. A mere transposition of names wasn’t enough.  Now the firm seems to operate as Reska Products Ltd. Do we dare ask what became of the terrapin?

Here's another one. Monty Python’s production company is named Python (Monty) Pictures Ltd.

So here’s a thought for a Monday lunchtime in the silly season. What if Marks & Spencer became Spencer & Marks?  Shortening that to S&M might do wonders for sales among their target market of the beige-clad, free-range elderly.