WERE OUR WINDOWS REALLY THAT DIRTY?

Since my enforced period of resting, we have enjoyed watching the birds on our many feeders and I have been bemoaning the fact that the windows in the conservatory were rather dirty.

This morning, Mr. HCB decided that it was the day to clean them.  As I am so much better, I was able to help a little and I couldn’t believe what a difference it has made.  I will now be able to take a photograph through the window without including the dirt and streaks.

Mr. HCB is gradually turning our large conservatory into a large greenhouse and is planting seeds like they are going out of fashion - I think at this rate, we will be able to set up our own stall in the front garden and sell them!  I don’t say anything though because he loves doing it and I know I will reap the benefits when we have all our own vegetables and flowers.

In my quiet times, I have been reading a book every day entitled “Meet the Bible” - A Panorama of God’s Word in Daily Readings and Reflections - by Philip Yancey and Brenda Quinn.  Today’s reading was about the life of Joseph and the way he never stopped trusting God.  The “daily contemplation” was “If God has an important message for you, how does He get it across?”

I think cleaning the conservatory windows has taught me that we need to get rid of the dross in our lives and then we will be able to see more clearly.  I have also learned during the last few weeks that although it seemed at times as if God had abandoned me, especially when I was in so much pain, sometimes He needs to bring me to my knees, quite literally, so that I depend more on Him and trust Him more.

“Pain insists upon being attended to. 
God whispers to us in our pleasures, 
     speaks in our consciences, 
          but shouts in our pains. 
It is his megaphone 
     to rouse a deaf world.”
C.S. Lewis

P.S.  I was blown away by all the wonderful comments, stars and hearts for my 1,500th Blip yesterday - I’m not one to worry about the Popular page, but see that it was sitting at Number 3 for quite some time - so thank you everyone - this is such a special community.