Blessings – Page 5 – Graham Chastney

Blessings #162 – The Swallow’s Return

I’m sitting in front of a large window on a sunny spring day. Outside is a field where male pheasants are doing a dance and crowing a call to attract all the ladies in the area.

Beyond the field is a conifer wood that was obviously planted in an age when the concentration of trees was clearly an important factor.

The sky is blue with a scattering of white and light grey clouds. I watch the clouds as they journey across the sky.

As I sit and enjoy the natural rhythm of the scene a see two black dots rise above the conifers.

With forked tail and arched back wings for speed they dart and dash. Approaching the window they show off their white breast and red throat.

Within seconds they’ve covered the width of the field and then just before they hit the glass they separate, one to the left and the other to the right.

They circle the building clockwise and anticlockwise three or four times. If they could talk I’m sure they would be shouting “we’re back, we’re back”.

The swallows have returned from their journeying.

We no more give honours to fools than pray for snow in summer or rain during harvest.
You have as little to fear from an undeserved curse as from the dart of a wren or the swoop of a swallow.

Proverbs 26:1 & 2

(The pictures are from Bolton Abbey, the scene I describe was in the same valley, but in a different location)

Blessings #161 – Coincidences?

Before I went to bed last night I was thoroughly discouraged.

There’s quite a rant in my journal.

Sue and I had a chat about it which made me feel a bit better, but I was still down.

This morning I went out on my walk (because I was working from home), put on my iPod and chose a podcast to listen to. I didn’t notice the title of the talk, I picked it because of who was speaking.

Within 5 minutes I realised that today was the day to be listening to this talk. It was a talk on, yes you’ve guessed it discouragement.

The speaker spoke of three areas where we get discouraged:

By looking at how things used to be.
By looking at how things are in other places.
By comparing yourself to how others are doing.

Ah, that would be me then.

He then went on to talk about how this kind of discouragement was destructive and how to combat it. Just what I needed.

It’s funny how coincidences happen when we pray.

Blessings #160 – Sun’s Rays

Blue and grey, whispers and black swirl above my head.

This is Borrowdale waiting for spring.

Down in the valley brown and green are starting their change of watch.

Of all the trees the Holly stands alone in it’s splendour of green and red, but not for much longer. Soon the skeletons of bark will burst to life in glorious foliage of every green hew..

Herdwick retain their fleeces, it’s too early to relinquish them. They’re ladies in waiting, foraging as they await the appropriate time.

This is Borrowdale in February.

The guitar man in my ear sings:

Sun’s up, uh huh, looks okay
The world survives into another day
And I’m thinking about eternity
Some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me

A Kestel swoops low across the fells looking for food, he’s dressed in his showing off clothes making sure the ladies know where he is.

The deer in the woods looks upon my stumbling attempts to climb the hills with a certain disdain then bounds off into the skeletons of bark.

Great Gable and Scar Fell keep the remnants of the winter snow under a blanket of cold grey cloud.

The snow drops in the valley below decorate the side of the river signalling the coming seasons.

This is Borrowdale waiting for spring.

Then a twist of grey followed by a shift in the whispers and the glorious rays break through, spotlighting the valley floor and the river below. Above the river a heron glides leisurely above the florescent waters looking for a place to fish.

Rods of light illuminating the droplets of rain left by the black. The rays are always there, but they aren’t the same without the rain to illuminate them.

The sun is always present, but sometimes the clouds make it appear all the brighter.

The guitar man in my ear has a new song and new words:

But nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight —
Got to kick at the darkness ’til it bleeds daylight

Blessings #159 – Thursday Morning Breakfast

Most Thursday mornings I go to a friends house for breakfast where three of us get together for a chat and a pray.

There’s no agenda, there’s no pressure, there’s no expectations even, we even overrun the scheduled time – breakfast, chat, pray that’s about as detailed as it gets. But or all their informality those times are so very special indeed, wonderful actually.

There are things I can say in those times that I can say in few other places.

There are feelings that i can reveal without fear of being judged or fixed.

It’s a wonderful safe place where I get to spend some time with some special friends.

In a world of face, pretence, uncertainty, perception, marketing, change, chatter, selfishness, disruption, one-up-man-ship and front it’s a time and a place that I find I increasingly need.

I believe that true worth isn’t found in the clammering of the masses, but in the day-to-day love of the few.

Blessings #158 – The Free Radical

There are times in my Christian walk when I get to a point of comfort, a place where I think I am reaching the goal that I have been aiming for. It’s at these times that the Radical Jesus pops his head around the corner to remind me of just how insipid my walk really is.

Jesus is so radical that sometime we find excuses for the things he say. We try and explain them away with a nice little story or we tell ourselves that he didn’t really say what he said.

Here’s an example of what we do. Jesus said:

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

Matthew 19

So we invent some story about a camel walking on it’s knees through a doorway in a gate. In other words we tell ourselves that Jesus didn’t really mean what he said, he really meant something different.

Jesus was a radical. He used a lot of parables, I’ll accept that, but when Jesus was straight talking, as he was here, he meant what he said. In other words – if you are rich it’s time to be very worried.

I’ve never bought the nice sweet simple story of a camel on its knees, it’s twaddle. Jesus was far too radical for that, he was really, really, really saying that riches do not get you into the kingdom of God.

Here’s another example of radical thoughts from the mouth of Jesus:

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5

Jesus goes on from these words to drive into the detail.

On murder,

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment

On adultery:

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

On divorce:

But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

On oaths:

But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne… All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

On revenge and justice:

But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Is there anyone who could stand against such standards – surely not. Those standards are just too radical.

Don’t get me wrong here I’m not sitting beating myself up about how terrible I am. When Jesus, the free radical, makes an appearance I am reminded, again, of my utter reliance upon him.

His statements remind me that there is absolutely no chance of me working my way into a place of favour with God without the inestimable grace that he makes available to each one of us.

After his camel through the eye of a needle statement the disciples responded:

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19

It’s not about us – what a blessing.

Blessings Top 20 for 2010

It’s that time of the year when television seems to be jammed full of Top Something of Anything type shows, So here’s my Top 20 Blessings for 2010:

It’s nice to see the newer ones on there, but also to see how far back they go, #29 – Laughter was written back in 2005!

Blessings #157 – Broken Perceptions

This weekend we ventured out to one of the local small towns. We had no particular reason for being there other than the fact that we were avoiding Preston town centre for various reasons.

It was a cold day, one of those when you don’t really want to be mooching around meandering from shop to shop. It was a day when we should really have be in mission mode moving from store to store in order with a purpose.

As we didn’t really have a mission for being there we defaulted to a combination of the two – mooching at a pace, as if we had a mission.

After exploring the delights of a couple of the local stores and quickly glancing through the price of property in the selection of estate agents we spotted a cafe hidden away down the side of a hotel. The hotel was looking a bit tired, but the cafe looked, at a distance, as if it might have some promise.

As we got nearer to the cafe my heart sank as I saw the tables inside and got an initial impression of the decor inside. But the desire to get out of the cold was stronger than the desire to find a really nice cafe. I entered the cafe with a clear perception of the experience that I was going to receive, and it wasn’t a great one.

My perception was completely wrong and within a few short seconds the prejudices that I had built up were shattered by a delightful cup of locally roasted coffee and a home made scone with real butter and fruity jam.

Having had my perceptions shattered I looked around and realised that this cafe had been crafted out of the platform of a now absent railway platform giving it a real character.

Jesus regularly broke peoples perceptions.

They wanted him to fit into the little box that they had decided he should fit into, but he wasn’t going to have any of it.

Rulers and authorities wanted him to conform, but he wasn’t going to fit into their parameters, he had his own definition.

People still want to put Jesus into a box and make him fit their parameters – but even today Jesus is having none of it.

Blessings #156 – Crossing the Chasm of Inadequacy

Sometimes these posts come quickly as if my brain has suddenly gone into download mode – I’ve been working on this one since April 2010.

After 7 months I hope it’s well matured.

In the spring Sue and I, along with some friends, went on a quiet day at Scargill House. This lovely place of retreat is near to the picturesque Yorkshire Dales village of Kettlewell.

Sometimes we do quiet days on our own, but on other occasions it’s good to join a lead quiet day where someone brings thoughts and reflections for the rest of us to contemplate. This time we were very privileged to have Adrian and Bridget Plass leading.

One of the thoughts from the day has been with me since that points. It was a challenge to be obedient:

Are you willing to be obedient by crossing the chasm of inadequacy because that’s where adventure lies.

I have a strong urge to be in control of situations and for people to think the best of me. If I feel inadequate in a situations I’m very uncomfortable, part of my drivenness is a need to avoid situations where I feel inadequate.

At the same time I have, for years, had a sense that God has been calling me to do some public speaking. Something that made me feel thoroughly inadequate. As you might imagine I wasn’t exactly pursuing this calling with much vigour.

Thankfully, God is patient.

I do a reasonable amount of presenting with my job, but this isn’t public speaking. Presenting is different, because over the years I have made sure that I am the expert in any situation where I might be speaking. There’s no chance of me feeling inadequate – a make sure of it. The problem for me with public speaking, particularly in a church context, is that there’s always someone who is more expert than you are.

The very thought of the lack of control required to speak in public made me nervous.

Thankfully, God is a healer.

The challenge to “cross the chasm” came within the context of being the people that God has made us to be, more specifically, for Graham to be the person God has made him to be.

One of my roles at church is to help lead a ministry called Celebrate Recovery. The tagline for Celebrate Recovery is to find freedom from life’s hurt, hang-ups and habits. Starting with my deep seated need for people to always think the best of me I’ve been on a journey of healing. This hasn’t been a quick journey, actually, I suppose it’s taken nearly three years to get me to this point. It’s been a journey of healing; being healed to be more like the person that God made me to be.

So, following the quiet day I took the first step across the chasm and volunteered to be involved in a series of talks about Life’s Healing Choices which is based on the Celebrate Recovery material.

The second step concluded this Sunday when I finished the second of two public speaking engagements.

Thankfully, God is faithful.

I can’t say I wasn’t nervous, but I can say that I wasn’t crippled with nerves.

I can’t say that I didn’t over worry the talks and have some moments when I wondered what on earth I was doing, but I can say that I saw it through.

I can’t even say that I’ve crossed this particular chasm.

Thankfully, God is love and grace.

because that’s where adventure lies.

Blessings #155 – A Walk in the Woods

One of my most favourite places is Borrowdale in Cumbria. As I drive down into Borrowdale from Keswick I always feel like any stress that I am feeling is progressively being lifted from me.

Leaving the wide open expanse of the Derwentwater valley the road enters into a narrow cutting beyond Grange. Following the route of the river Derwent the road twists and turns for a mile or so before it opens out into Borrowdale.

Surrounded by hills on all sides Borrowdale is like a land that is cut off from the rest of the world – a secret, hidden place,

Some of the valley sides are displaying rocky crags, some are covered in grass and heather, but my favourite are the ones cloaked in ancient woodland.

This isolated place has managed to avoid the imposition of rows upon rows of conifers. It’s steep sides and remoteness have meant that the original broadleaf ecosystem still persists in all its splendour.

On August Bank holiday this year the weather was glorious and we were visiting family in Keswick. Even though we were really there to see family it always seems a shame not to get out into the countryside for at least part of the day. I set out from the busy market town with the view that I would park at the first place I could find. Passing crammed full car parks at Kettlewell and Grange I carried on into Borrowdale. No parking in Longthwaite or Seathhwaite either, so Seatoller it was, but only in the last parking space in the car park.

Heading for the gate at the rear of the car park I took the well trodden path along the river through the woods towards Longthwaite. Here the northern, eastern and southern sides of High Doat is covered with Jonny Wood. High Doat is not a huge hill but the woods like magnificent.

There’s something very special about the way that summer sunlight shines it’s way through a mixed broad leaf wood. The variety of green hew is sometimes breathtaking.

The floor of the wood is visibly alive with flora and fauna of immense variety. The birds might not be too visible but their song makes the presence of many species obvious.

Every now and again the trees part to give fabulous framed views of the crags beyond.

After a little way the path and the wood drop down towards the river with elegant vintage trees bowing down to the clear crystal stream as it babbles and bubbles over rock and through crevice.

As I walk along I contemplate the things that these trees have witnessed. It’s a way to put thoughts and worries into perspective.

A wonderful walk and a great blessing.

Blessings #154 – The Dance of Nature

I sit atop a cliff, my t-shirt still wet from the sweat that proves the effort that has bought me to this tranquil rock bathed in the sun and wind overlooking a scene of lake and mountain.

Upon the lake the wind dances a waltz with the water in patterns of rolling splendour joined occasionally by swirling white maidens.

As I sit the wind stiffens and the sky darkens, the blue hue gives way to grey.

Across the lake a lace curtain of a rain shower forms and draws nearer. The waltzing splendour on the lake gives way to patterns of fractal like intricacy, patterns within patterns, swirls within swirls, faster and faster. It’s like a street dance crew has invaded a tea-dance. This way and that way they dart across the waters.

I stand and ponder my need for shelter or a coat, but stand and marvel at the beautiful complexity of the scene as the lace curtain draws nearer.

Then, just as the curtain is about to become a veil the wind shifts to the north and street dancers move away from me and towards the town in the distance.

The rolling waltzing patterns of peak and trough return as if they had never been disturbed. Continuing in the dance until the next time the lace curtain and the street dancers return.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvellous—how well I know it.

Psalm 139

Blessings #153 – Fresh Raspberries

This evening I got in from a busy day at work. It’s hot, so I was bit sticky in my long trousers and shirt. I rarely wear a tie, but if I did, it wouldn’t have survived around my neck for the drive home.

Home, I went in search of the rest of the family. Jonathan was outside having his tea with Anna, Sue and Emily were in the kitchen preparing mine.

“We’ve picked some more strawberries, and we’ve got some red raspberries”

“Have you picked them”

“No not yet”

Still in my work clothes I headed outside to the net tent at the back of the garden where the raspberry bushes live. It didn’t take me long to find a handful of wonderful sweet red raspberries.

If you’ve ever tasted a ripe raspberry straight off a bush you know what I mean I say that they were GOOD.

If you’ve never had the pleasure then I’m sorry but you’ve really missed out on one of life’s treats.

They call them fresh in the supermarket – but it’s just not the same.

Perhaps it’s got something to do with the anticipation at watching them grow week by week. Perhaps they taste so much better because I’ve had a hand in their growth. Perhaps they just taste better because they are fresher. I don’t know?

Almost by definition, things that are called fruits taste good. Whether they are sweet or tangy or succulent or even bitter, they taste good.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

Galatians 5

Blessings #152 – New Growth after a Pruning

The cold winter this year managed to kill of a number of plants in our garden, amongst them were two Bay Trees. They weren’t the pretties Bay Tree but their leaves were very useful for the Sunday roast and in a stew.

For some reason, best known to someone in the trade, Bay Trees are very expensive to buy, but I had a cunning plan. I knew my Dad had grown some Bay Trees from seed in pots in his garden. So, when we visited recently, I acquired a couple.

Both of these trees had lovely straight trunks but had been left far too long in rather small pots making the branches all spindly with a rather lonely looking and sparse set of leaves.

As I was looking at these leaves and wondering what to do my Dad walked up behind me and said “put them in a new pot, prune them right back and they’ll grow a storm”.

And that is precisely what I did; with a couple of nice big pots, a bag of compost and my trusty secateurs I got to work.

By the time I had finished there were two pots, two straight trunks, and not too much else. If these two had stayed like that it would have been a tragedy and a waste of time, but I was confident that it wouldn’t be.

A good pruning was precisely what these two immature trees needed.

It’s been a few weeks since I gave the trees their crew-cut and, as expected, they’ve grown a storm with leaves and buds all over the place. The toughest bark has become some of the most fertile areas. They are starting to look like trees again. There are still scars from the pruning, but the growth is already worth the disfigurement. There’s even growth right next to the point where the branches have been dissected.

Jesus said:

"I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.

"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.”

John 15

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