All Change Please

Many of us have experienced being on a bus or train or plane which we boarded because it was going to a particular destination, which was either our final destination or en-route our desired destination.   

Partway into the journey we are told the bus or train or plane can no longer continue to that destination, for whatever reason, and everyone is expected to disembark and find an alternative means of getting to their desired destination.

Sometimes the alternative is provided, sometimes not. More often than not the change comes with an adverse impact on our time and our resources, both financial and otherwise, and bucketloads of inconvenience.

Our typical response when this happens is to rant. I certainly do so and do not mince words while expressing my displeasure, sometimes using words that are against my personal principles.

But what I don’t do is refuse to get off the bus, train or coach; because whether I like it or not, or whether I accept it or not, that bus or train or plane is no longer capable of getting me to my destination. So while ranting and expressing my displeasure, at the same time I am already looking for alternative options; because though that path or route may no longer be valid, my destination still is and I must keep going anyway and anyhow possible until I get there.

Of course there are occasions when a mishap on our journey may cause us to rethink the entire journey; but once the conclusion is reached that the destination remains valid, then we must find a way to proceed.

So why do we not respond the same way when life throws curve balls at us and causes or forces us to make a change? Why do we stay stuck, immobile and refuse to see that change is required and we must make that change because quite frankly that is the only option available to us?

So many of us are stuck in things, in  situations and in experiences that are at a dead end. Though we had intended that those things or situations or experiences will take us to a desired destination, for whatever reason something has changed and that thing or situation or experience is no longer capable of getting us to our desired destination. 

But rather than read the situation and make the required change to get us back on track, we stay stuck. Like remaining on the platform of a train we’ve been told is not going any further, or in the lounge of a plane that has been grounded. No matter how long we stay there, the outcome will not change. We might as well have boarded a bus or train or plane that is going nowhere. 

By all means rant and vent if that helps you express your displeasure and get things off your chest, but most importantly get back on track. Get back on a route or a path that gets you to your destination because though you may have lost time, though it may cost a bit more physically, mentally, psychologically and financially, when you get to your destination it’ll be all worth it.

May God bless us all.

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Lockdown, and Remembering Mr L

When I moved into my house I inherited some furniture, paintings, a high maintenance garden and a shed full of DIY tools. I tried to get the solicitor to get it all cleared out before I moved in but it wasn’t done, so it was left to me to sort out.

The furniture and paintings were easy to take care of, I kept those I wanted and sent the rest to a charity shop. My plan was to turn the garden into a low maintenance outdoor space but to start with, I just had it cleared out. The shed was a bit tricky. My plan was to get rid of it lock, stock and barrel as my level of DIY is minimal or almost non-existent. But even I could see the value of tools in my inherited shed and that it would be a DIY lover’s haven. So I let it be, until I would have the time to take care of it one way or another.

A couple of months ago I had spoken to some friends, offering barbecue and beer in exchange for labour clearing out my garden and the shed. I even offered to throw in one tool of their choice from my overstocked shed. Alas corona virus happened and brought with it a lockdown. My friends couldn’t come around to help and realizing there was not much to do during a lockdown weekend especially when the weather is nice, I decided to give it a go myself with help from my housemate.

As I sorted through the shed, I caught a glimpse into the life of Mr L, the man who had left behind all those things. I could see he was very much a handyman and realized some of the furniture I had inherited had been made right there in my shed. The garden I had taken apart without a second thought had been his haven and I found compost, some seedlings and flower food he had obviously planned to use. There was an unopened amazon parcel containing a part for an equipment I didn’t know what it is used for waiting to be fixed. There was wood and paint perhaps to make another piece of furniture.

As I went through all these things I discovered a little about Mr L, a man I had never known. And I felt sorry that I had planned to get rid of all that stuff with perfunctory thought. So while cleaning out the shed I agreed with Mr L that I was going to keep some of the tools and start to try my hand at some DIY. And who knows, hubby dearest when he shows up may be a lot more into it and he’ll have a variety of tools to use to his heart’s content.

As I closed the shed door I thought I would  start my DIY foray by painting the shed. That should make Mr L happy.

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When you don’t know, but you know.

The parish priest at mass today just got back from Italy yesterday (and no, we didn’t all run out of church when he told us 😁), but he mentioned how much uncertainty he had experienced in the past week because while in Italy he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to make it back to the UK as scheduled. The corona virus situation was changing so rapidly in Italy, he didn’t know if something would happen that would cause him to be quarantined. He was already thinking of how much he had to do and how much he’ll need to reschedule if for some reason his plans had to change as a result of the situation with the virus.

He finally got on a plane heading to London and while in transit, the plane experienced such severe turbulence that he started thinking again to himself all that would happen, or not happen, if he didn’t arrive home as planned. But he did get home on schedule and as planned and he shared in retrospect if he had known for certain what the outcome of these two scenarios were going to be, he would have spent less or no time thinking or worrying about them and definitely no effort trying to reorganize his schedule just in case he got delayed.

This certainty in knowing the outcome, despite the uncertainty and even turbulence in going through the process is akin to ‘When you don’t know, but you know’.

Hearing Fr’s experience reminded me of so many whom I know who are waiting for, working towards or looking forward to something in anticipation. How sometimes the uncertainty and turbulence in the process can cause you to doubt that you will arrive at the expected outcome, you will get that which you have waited on, worked for or sought after.

So to myself and to all those who this might resonate with I say these words of encouragement: We may know nothing about the process, it may be fraught with uncertainty, difficulty, lack of clarity, pain, sweat and tears; that’s okay. Because we know what we know, we know the outcome. And the only reason we can be so confident about the outcome is because “We know in whom we have believed, in whom we have put our trust “ 2 Timothy 1:12; and we know the plans he has for us are “plans to bring us prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future we hope for” Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭GNBDK‬‬.

So with confidence and certainty in the outcome we can go through the process, turbulent and uncertain though it may be. For though we may not know; but we know.

God bless us all.

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