madness is a perspective

Someone said to me today - you must be mad!

Maybe I am.

What triggered the comments was my being away for the day. Down south. To see my grand-daughter.

You maybe think - 'what's wrong with that?' To which I say - 'exactly!'

Except. Except it meant leaving the house at 2.45am, having a couple of hours with the lovely wee girl while she was up and awake, then heading back home for a meeting at night up here.

It's a strange sensation, I grant you, going to bed here in Edinburgh, having breakfast some 300 miles down the road in a delightful coffee shop in an old English market town, and being back up here for a meeting with others at night.

A mere 600 miles or so (just less) and about 11 hours on the road. And all, in some ways, to have the chance to play with my little grand-daughter and to hold her in my arms, for a fleeting little time.

This photo was taken a couple of months ago and Isla's changed a lot since then!

"But you got your 'fix'!" my daughter-in-law observed with a smile. She's nothing if not discerning. She's a whole load else as well, of course - but discerning with it!

And I did have good cause to be going down there - my wife was off to stay with them and I'd said I'd give her a lift down.

Madness? I guess some think it such.

But it's all to do with perspective.

It's the "I'd-go-a-million-miles-for-one-of-your-smiles" perspective.

It's the "better-is-one-day-in-your-courts-than-a-thousand-elsewhere" perspective which the psalmist declares.

It's the perspective of the Lord himself, whereby he puts himself out for the likes of us.

It's the perspective on life which sees a guy in the Bible like Philip going miles and miles out his way to meet up with one total stranger who's passing that way on his travels.

One day in your courts, O Lord, is better than a thousand elsewhere.

Ten minutes with my grandaughter is worth the ten hours (plus) of travel that the visit involves.

People matter. The Lord seems to think so, at any rate.

Am I really that mad? (That's a rhetorical question, by the way! You don't have to answer it - but, of course, do feel free to do so if you wish!)