flexi-time

No, you didn't miss a day!

I did. There simply wasn't time yesterday to post anything here at all.

And even late on, when I thought that there might be a chance, something else came up. The projector refused to perform, so I had to spend time (about an hour it took in all) in sorting that out and fixing it up again.

It's one of those weeks. I jokingly wrote on my 'status' on facebook, on Monday I think it was, that I was in the middle of four funerals and a wedding.

At that point in time there were only two. Funerals. Now there are four. I must be a prophet or something! And the week got suddenly shorter.

(It was short enough already, with there being the three services this coming Sunday, and a wedding on the Friday with the rehearsal the night before - an event which cuts about a day and a half off my normal working week).

On Monday John died. As I said. Betty also died, though I didn't find out about that until Tuesday morning. By which time, a service of thanksgiving for John's life had been fixed for Saturday afternoon.

And all of a sudden the squeeze was on!

All of these things can fit into my diary. What's not factored in is the preparation time. And that's where the 'squeeze' comes in: I have to somehow find odd corners here and there (usually either late at night or right at the crack of dawn) to squeeze the preparation for these different services in.

But before very long I was laughing out loud, the week was getting so silly. In terms of what was needing done. When it gets like that, the pressure's off. All I can do is hand it to the Lord and leave it all with him.

There's no way I can do it all myself. Maybe it's better that way. When I don't have an option but to trust absolutely in him. For everything.

So today's been busy, too. Along at the school and out to have time with Betty's lovely family.

Neither could really be rushed. Along at the school I got chatting with Gus. A local guy who runs a thing called 'Earthcalling'. He was in at the school addressing some eco issues with the pupils. He was keen on what we're hoping to be doing here ourselves. Our 'green' day later, in June.

It was good to have time with him.

And good as well to have time with the family of Betty. Rehearsing so much of her life. Laughing at some of the times that there'd been. Humbled together reflecting on how she lived.

So I'm thinking of her and her sons at this time. And I'm thinking of Janice and all of the rest of John's family, too. And I'm feeling the pain and the grief of these folk. And I'm wondering how best to pack into the brief times there'll be the story and themes of their lives.

And I'm thinking of Robin, whom I've known for about two decades and whose wedding I'm taking on Friday. And I'm trying to discern what it is that the Lord means I say.

And all of the time, with a whole range of tasks that all of them need my attention - all of the time I'm wondering how great God must be to be able himself to embrace all our needs and to know all our hearts and to feel all our hurts and to hear all our prayers.

And I'm glad that I'm his. And I'm glad that I share in his work, that I'm part of the things that he's doing in the world of today. And I love all the time that I spend with so rich a variety of folk.

Because I was out again tonight, along at Paul and Gail's. With another couple, too. Immersed in the sometimes rather crazy-looking world of Genesis 4 and 5.

Then back along here, supposedly to do some preparation, but it turned out there were yet again more people. Staff from one of the schools, who'd been here for a concert tonight. Coffee and chat with them.

I love it all!