SPEAKING TO THE SOUL

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
Ephesians 5:15-17 NLT

My dad was distinctly unexcited about my choice to enter Christian ministry on leaving Oxford. One piece of advice from him I still remember from that time is: “Remember that good habits will always create fresh opportunities.” I’ve become increasingly grateful for this wisdom, even though it has taken me time to determine to build my daily life on good habits.

When we moved into the Oratory, we were presented with a wonderful, relatively large garden. It was a blank canvas in that it had hedges each side and was laid to lawn. The hedges were high and dense, and we gazed upon a sea of green. There were no flowerbeds at all. It offered ample opportunity for a low-maintenance garden with just mowing the lawn and trimming the hedges. However, it also offered an opportunity to imagine and then create something colourful throughout the seasons for our personal enjoyment, as well as that of our Oratory guests on retreat or quiet days. Our problem was that we had no gardening experience and brought to our task no gardening habits.

Speaking with seasoned gardeners, some reading, watching online videos and the like, Jayne and I learned how to garden. Without great planning, I dug some flowerbeds and they seemed to fit. I removed the hedges, which was demanding and dirty work. We found plants, learned to grow from seed, experienced failure and success. The garden demanded our attention, especially during spring and summer. We needed to set time aside to work on the garden – and this time needed to be at regular interventions. Nothing could be rushed and some tasks demanded energy and sweat, others delicacy and patience. Slowly good habits were formed and a garden of tranquillity was born.

QUESTION

What habits might you develop to enable you to take hold of the opportunities life presents you with?

PRAYER

Help me make decisions and build behaviours that will help take hold of circumstances and opportunities to bring you glory and become more like your Son, my Saviour.

Photo – River Bann at early site of Coleraine