Day 84: The Rebel Light

Tonight Pin and I took a quick dander over to Morrisons to get 'supplies'.  (ie, stuffs for chocolate chip cookie dough, ice cream, oh and a few boring things like broccoli and light bulbs.)  On the way I saw a house with a little welcome light that shone red, blue, yellow, and green.  I stopped because I've haven't seen one of those lately.  Most lights are just pale, retiring, "don't notice me" kind of lights that give a warm glow but ensure that your attention is directed entirely to the door, or the doorbell, or another aspect of the house.  This one, though small, shouts out for attention.  It's brightly coloured, cheerful, and even glows in a different way.  It's a rebel!  So, I snapped a photo of it, hoping that the house's inhabitants didn't come out scowling wondering why I was taking pictures of their house.  Little do they know that their rebel light is famous now!  All over the world!

In the spirit of this rebel fire I found a poem that seemed to speak directly to this small light.  Read on! Shine on, little light!  And all of you, walk on!

"The Rebel" - by Don Marquis

No doubt the ordered worlds speed on

  With purpose in their wings;

No doubt the ordered songs are sweet

  Each worthy angel sings;

And doubtless it is wise to heed

  The ordered words of Kings;

But how the heart leaps up to greet

  The headlong, rebel flight,

Whenas some reckless meteor

  Blazes across the night!

Some comet—Byron—Lucifer—

  Has dared to Be, and fight!

No doubt but it is safe to dwell

  Where ordered duties are;

No doubt the cherubs earn their wage

  Who wind each ticking star;

No doubt the system is quite right!—

  Sane, ordered, regular;

But how the rebel fires the soul

  Who dares the strong gods’ ire!

Each Byron!—Shelley!—Lucifer!—

  And all the outcast choir

That chant when some Prometheus

  Leaps up to steal Jove’s fire!

Day 83: Just Blue

Absolutely amazing.  28th of February, 83 days into my 90 day challenge which I started in the midst of a blizzarding snowstorm, and the sky is so blue you could fall into it.  Definitely the changeable blue which could turn into that snowstorm at any time (this is Scotland after all), but I just loved the way my window warms up the sunshine as it streams into my office, and landed on my arm and face as though I were somewhere tropical for a moment or two.  I had to get out in it (partly for the beautiful blue sky and partly because of my blog!), so off I went to the post office and various errands. 

Today I noticed a few different smells more than sights - on the way to the post office I distinctly smelled fish and chips (unsurprisingly), but as I passed the two I noticed they definitely had vinegar on them, as well.  It was very strong.  After I came out of the post office (about six days later) there was the distinct tang of a wood fire on the air. I stood and smelled it, being immediately transported to my parents' cabin, complete with fir trees and juniper pine and crackling wood fires and russian tea and book-reading by firelight and long walks and the noisy silence of the woods....and then with a snap someone swore and a car swerved and a girl laughed shrilly and I was right back in Airdrie again!

And then home, while the blue of the sky fades into a pale blue, then an almost-green, then a light orange, then a cream, then nothing.

Day 82: Which Prodigal Are You?

Another day of rest.  I pretty much spent the entire day listening to sermons and reading books and articles about the Story of the Prodigal Son.  What really struck me this time around was the elder brother. I really believe that parable is mislabeled.  It should be called the Story of the Two Prodigal Sons.  Everyone connects with the rebellion of the younger brother very quickly, because it is obvious and open.  But the rebellion of the elder brother is so subtle because he appears to have all the boxes ticked - and yet that's the whole problem.  When his younger brother comes home, is forgiven, and a party is thrown, the elder brother's response is anger, bitterness, accusations, and self-righteousness.  "All these years I have slaved for you," he tells his father.  His deepest problem is that he sees his father as a slave-driver, and whereas the younger brother asked out front, boldly, for the inheritance money, the elder brother decides to get it by trickery. He can't wait for his father to die, either...he just pretends to be the good guy and yet is only serving for the 'stuff' that he will get in the end.

It really struck me afresh, on this day of rest, that going to worship and prayer meeting and Bible classes and visiting housebound and attending events and spending time with the young people and all of these things are completely useless if they are done without the heart, without love.  God the Father is not one who requires a list of 'to-do' items before He loves us.  For those of us who are His children, who are following Him and serving Him, He loves already! His response to the elder brother is so gracious: "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours."  He could have justifiably berated the elder brother, but he doesn't - because the father loves both his sons.  Forgiveness, and welcome, and a great big party, are open to both of them.

Interestingly enough the story leaves us hanging. No happy ending where the elder brother goes into the party and greets his younger brother with tears of reconciliation.  I kind of like that.  It leaves it open to be your story, my story.  Which brother are we?  And where will we go from here?  Either way - older or younger brother - God the Father shows great compassion and love, and our service to Him is out of love.  It is out of love that I do go to many of these events with the church...but they are not for the church.  They are for God, who is throwing a pretty amazing party for me and all His children one day!  Can't wait!

Here's the first sermon I watched on the elder brother - an excellent one.  Enjoy!


Religion and 'Older Brothers' - Luke 15 from Airdrie RPC on Vimeo.

Day 81: Drumpelier Park

The sun was shining cheerfully today!  Working from home with the warm sun streaming in through my window, I wished I could be out walking in it.  Fortunately Pin and I finished with enough time to spare before the sun went down (and it's going down later these days - past six while I'm writing this and just now getting dark! summer is coming!), so we leaped into Otis (who was raring to go) and zoomed off to nearby Drumpelier Park.

It had all the beauties we desired, and all the funny things you expect at a park.  We ooohed and ahhhhed at the sun sparkling off the waters, the swans and ducks gathering round to eat prohibited bread ("NO FEEDING THE BIRDS"), the bright green colour of the grass, the dark blue-grey of the waters with the wind making little rippling effects.  And we laughed at the guy who passed us, cycling, about five times whilst we only made it round twice (by the fifth time we were becoming best of friends); the little boy determinedly rolling up the legs of his trousers to wade in, and his mother just as determinedly rolling them back down; the little girl with a red hat and big eyes, staring around at everything in wonder; the couple arguing between themselves as they passed; and Pin's squeaky trainers that sounded like little ducks following us as we walked along.  She tried all kinds of things to get them to stop - walking faster, walking slower, walking on one foot, hopping left, hopping right, spinning around in circles, walking backwards, and finally leaping into a mud puddle in case water would assist.  I was expecting someone to smile and say how kind it was for me to take this clearly special person out for her daily walk. :)

We really enjoyed it.  It's such a pleasure to be out in the sunshine and the fresh air, not even noticing the weather so much as all the surroundings and the joy of walking and talking and covering deep things and unimportant things alike.  I do love my sister.  It's one of the things I miss so much by  having moved here to Scotland from America - just the little things of going for a walk with someone who knows you as well as (sometimes better than) your own self, and doesn't let you away with any of your excuses or fears.  (We were talking about a lot of those as we walked along.)  So I treasure it. 

Afterwards we stopped by Tescos 'to buy a paint brush' and came out with triple sec, mushrooms, vegetables for soup, grocery-style-takeaway for dinner, bananas, a sketchbook, soup, and pasta.  We had to go buy the paint brush separately after we had finished.  Classic!

Now my little Tesco takeaway is done, and I am off to eat it, and watch Harry Potter with my sister! 

Walk on!

Walk length:  40 minutes

Day 80: The Darkening Day

The day felt quite mild as I set off tonight.  Didn't even need a scarf, or hat, or gloves.  But it turned out to be one of those days in which the cold settles itself in during my walk - gives a cheery, friendly, not quite warm but less than cold impression at the start, and then (rubbing its cold winds together briskly) begins to add slight freezes until my ears are quite numb by the end!

Still, I enjoyed it.  The sky darkened from a light blue grey to a darker shade; a corner of the sky peeped blue but was quickly squelched; the sunset attempted an orange glow but was similarly rebuffed.  Not in an angry way - it was as though the sky was a bit too busy for all that bother.  "None of this now, we're getting on towards evening and you've lost your chance," it seemed to say.  Things were done efficiently, swiftly tonight, and my 40 minute walk sped by before I even really realised it.  I tried a new path today - I'd actually taken this one before, but it appears that the council has decided new paths and new fences are in order, so there were some changes to view and all in all I enjoyed more fields and greenery than I normally might.  Then I walked through a few streets to get back to my own, seeing a friend standing in a doorway and greeting him; passing by several knots of small children who had too little to do and too much time; glancing in to the little corner shops where I was peered at suspiciously from inside; and being passed by several young boys who were hurrying along just because they could.

And now back to a warm home and dinner!

Walk length:  40 minutes

Day 79: This Is The Point

Today was another "I don't really feel much like going a walk" day.  Exactly the point of having a blog and a challenge like this!  So I set out at night, with the wind and the rain in my face, the street-lamps shining on the trees covered in raindrops, and took at least a most basic walk in the area around my flat.  I am coming to love the feeling of winning against the elements.  So far, in almost 80 days, my favourite walk was the one in Helensburgh, where the wind and rain was so fierce and so powerful that I had to concentrate on each step, and in many ways felt miserable and cold and wretched.  But all of that combined with my fighting it out anyway, and I've learned that I love the fight.  To sit inside with a cup of tea and a warm duvet and the wind howling outside is nice; but far nicer still is having that feeling after having wrestled with that wind, after being pelted by that rain, and not being daunted.

Walk on!

Walk length:  15 minutes

Day 78: Be At Rest

"If you look at the world, you'll be distressed.
If you look within, you'll be depressed.
But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest."
    - Corrie ten Boom

There is only one thing for this day, and it is rest.  We worshiped, we sang, we slept, we laughed, we listened, we rest.