variety

It's generally with making the soup that my Tuesdays begin.

Today was no exception. Two soups as usual. One the blander, more 'traditional', 'safer' sort. The other with a 'license to roam' and the scope for a bit of experimentation.

There were some complaints. Well, maybe complaint's too strong a word: maybe it's more like 'observations' people made. And I have to remember the customer's always right. Which can be just a shade on the irksome side!

Anyway, the complaint was about the lack of variety.

Given that one of the soups I hadn't produced for more than a month or two, I wasn't entirely persuaded the complaint had a great deal of substance. But, as I say, the customer's always right.

It just seemed the customer wanted a particular sort of variety, which included some certain specific soups. Which the customer went on to name.

Almost like the customer made up the menu a week or so in advance! It could become chaotic if they all did that - I'd end up making maybe 50 soups by the time they all were done! (You can see that it irked me a bit!)

They're right, of course. The customers. They always are.

We do all need variety. In all of life, not just the choice of soups that is available.

And as I thought about all this, it struck me that, despite the fact we all need that variety, we often sort of gravitate towards a set routine.

Perhaps because it's easier. Requires less thought. Involves less change. All in all more comfortable.

I guess it's both we need. The adventure of variety. The 'order' of routine.

Most days, I suppose, subconsciously, I try to combine them both. The structure of a settled, clear routine. The stimulus of a colourful variety.

Today had both. Routine tasks - like making soup and meeting up with Douglas over lunch: like him and I then joining in a time of prayer: like different strands of all the preparation which I'm needing to be doing at this time: like responding to the catalogue of e-mails which soon build up in my 'Inbox' at the blinking of an eye.

Those sorts of things.

And variety as well. Many different people whom I chance to meet: people passing by and calling in: people in their homes and at their work: people all so different and with such a range of need.

Variety.

And things I do on the spur of the moment: in response (so it seemed to me) to the promptings of God by his own Holy Spirit within. Unplanned. Unscheduled. Unpredictable.

But great the way they work out! Great to see the Spirit of God at work, and using the likes of me. Finding myself in an unexpected place, but the right time, right place and right person. And God himself so wonderfully at work.

There was much that was routine today. But being free from the need to be hide-bound by all the routine gives life the necessary balance.

And makes it more than interesting all the time!