MONDAY 4th MAY 2020

Good morning friends,

I wonder what you did this weekend?

I hope you have been able to relax a little, and perhaps enjoy being outside for a wee while.

Or maybe you were engaging in some clearing out.

I know from speaking to some folks that you have been very busy recently clearing out cupboards, drawers, the garage, sheds............etc, etc.

I certainly set off into the first five weeks with great gusto here, because as some of you will know I can’t abide clutter.

Sadly though, we are somewhat held back in what we can throw away because the local refuse, recycling centres are closed.

However..........an item of news that reached my ears at the end of last week was something that made me smile.............. for ,some of the centres are to be opening again.YEAH!!!

There is something very satisfying I think when we can get rid of some of the “stuff” that either seems to appear, or that we hold onto “just in case” it might come in handy. Or that we keep on buying just because we can.

One thing that has struck me during this time of isolation is the way I find things that have been “cluttering “up my mind or spirit have been brought to the surface. And, I’m thinking that perhaps it might be an idea to reflect on some of the “stuff” that we keep hanging onto that is stopping us from having a closer relationship with Jesus.

With that in mind I want to reflect upon this during the next few days.

There is an encounter with Jesus in Scripture that comes to mind, that may just set the scene.

It is found in Matthew’s Gospel chapter 19 verses 16-25. Known to us as the story of the rich young man.

Picture it. This well dressed young man approaches Jesus and earnestly asks what he has to do to get to heaven.

Jesus walks him through what the commandments say, and the young man is feeling pretty good about himself because he’s got all his bases covered up until this point.

Then he takes it further and asks Jesus what else he can do, to be even better. Jesus tells him to “go home and sell all his stuff and give the money to the poor.”

We read that the “young man walked away sad because he had many things.”

He led a privileged, cluttered life, but the hold on his “stuff” had on him was stopping him from following Jesus fully.

We don’t hear any more about this young man, and I often wonder what happened to him...........

So, my friends, I look forward to sharing with you this coming week as I take a closer look at how we might de-clutter and so draw closer to our Lord.

God bless you this new day.

So, my friends, I look forward to sharing with you this coming week as I take a closer look at how we might de-clutter and so draw closer to our Lord.

God bless you this new day.