Time and Space

I was shopping at the Warehouse the other day - I was looking for a bargain you see...actually, you can buy cards there for $1 which is a saving of between 300-400%. Anywho, I came across a section advertising a card range quite different to the usual "Happy Birthday", "Romantic", "Bon Voyage" categories. I'd never seen anything quite like it before:

"Terminally Ill Cheer"

I didn't know whether to laugh or become indignant. In the end I laughed.

Melissa recently posted on the idea of Sabbath as a suspension of our time/activity which is itself an act of worship. The idea grabbed me. I am what is known as a "6th Day Adventist" - that is I take my Sabbath on a Friday. I am fairly religious about this. I recognise that professional ministry (don't you love the term?) is addictive and so my Friday Sabbath is a part of recognising that my relationship with God is not defined by my activity for Him. It is a suspension of activity, well at least of that sort.

So, this week, in part inspired by our leaders gathering of a couple of weeks back, I determined to visit a sick friend who has cancer. I had a reason for going - I needed to pick something up. I felt a little sad that I needed a reason - its somewhat complicated by the fact that she is suffering with the same disease that took my late wife Claire, that they were good friends and that a good friend of mine is her separated husband! But next time I won't need a reason:

Subject: thank you

Thanks for coming to pick up the bed last week, it was great to see you.
You’ll have to bring the little one next time, I would love to meet him sometime.

There was only one card in the Terminally Ill Cheer section - it seemed a lot lame. I felt a lot lame myself going into this situation, but it didn't seem to matter. I stayed a lot longer than I planned. This was a precious suspension of time with a friend. I'll leave the last words to the Apostle Paul:

You show that you are a [greeting card] from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

(2 Cor 3:3)

Jonesbrick