Last week when a friend of ours went into the church building, he heard a noise from the washroom area. On opening the door, he realized a pigeon had crawled in the air vent pipe and was now trapped inside. There was a window in the washroom and the bird kept throwing itself at the window on the hopes of getting outside. Other birds were flying around in his line of vision and he wanted to join them but kept hitting himself against the window pane and of course could not get out.

Our friend decided to leave the door open to try and allow the pigeon to fly through, but there was no way it was coming out into the room where he was. And so the confused bird kept trying to fly through the window pane. Eventually, our friend hid himself and after a while the pigeon decided it was safe to leave and so he did, as quickly as he could! But the mess he left behind was something awful.

There was not only pigeon droppings everywhere but feathers also, as in panic he had flown around and hit repeatedly against things. Our friend spent a good few hours cleaning up after the pigeon and as he was doing so began to see the parallel between our behavior and that of the pigeon.

God has provided a big area for each of us, where we are free to move around and be happy. Yet it is so often the cramped, difficult things that attract us. The things we are not allowed for our own good! We end up costing ourselves precious time and alienating ourselves from others who are believers. We lose so much joy because we do not want Christ”s way out of a problem. Especially, if it means we may have to ask someone”s forgiveness or maybe even forgive what someone has done to us. We would rather beat ourselves up than get to the root of the problem and return to the joy of the Lord.

Then we look back on the life we had before. We see others enjoying these freedoms and we are stuck and can”t go anywhere. We have caused a prison for ourselves and there seems to be no way of escape. The pane of glass lets us see through to the outside, but no matter how hard we bang our heads we remain imprisoned of our own doing.

Even although we may have learned there is Someone, who will release us and allow us our freedom, we will not go that way. Fear and rebellion makes us want to do it our own way! Yet the offer of freedom is staring us in the face. And while we are trying to free ourselves, what are we actually doing? Making a huge mess of everything we try, and leaving that mess for others to try to clean up for us.

If you don”t already know Jesus as your Saviour, He is offering you the freedom of sins forgiven and an eternal home in Heaven. If you are His child, but find yourself trapped again in sin and have lost the freedom you had in Christ, return to Him, He will allow you to be free again and will even help you clear up the mess! John 8: 36, “If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”

If you are a Christian keep witnessing, keep showing those trapped in sin that there is a way out and He will bless you for it. Ask Him for opportunities to serve in this way!

This year we have had a very busy program and although that is not unusual, there have been other times when we have tried to set aside time for ourselves for birthdays and anniversaries etc. But this year, it was not looking like there was a chance of having some time around our anniversary, so neither of us were too worried.

However, it turned out we had a day spare. We quickly got ready for our next guests coming the following day and left the house before anything else would steal the time away. It was such a blessing just to have some time alone, time to think, chat, relax and have fun. In all the busyness of life we often forget to appreciate one another and this was an opportunity for that.

More importantly, I thought how often I rush through my time with the Lord, and how seldom I get time to spend at His feet appreciating all He does for me. In my younger years, I often took a day when I saw no one, but spent the time relaxing with my Bible and my Lord. Time to sleep, read, pray and listen! That was not difficult when the work hours were organized for me, but as life went on things got busier and when you are a full-time missionary, there is no official off duty, unless you make it!!!

There are many times of corporate or couple prayer but the time alone is vital more especially that the Lord can speak to us.

This week we feel refreshed and ready for the challenges and I have been reminded once again of the importance of shutting out the world and having time alone. When it was important for Jesus to do come aside and spend time with His Father, what makes us think we do not have to?

I also believe, if we do not do this of our own free-will, it could happen that we are laid aside for awhile that God can get our attention. How often have you heard someone say after an incident when they are unwillingly made to rest, that they had some great times with the Lord or that He had set them there to gain their full attention? We heard that also this past week as a friend of ours has been laid aside and already God has shown him some things he needs to put in order in his life.

As it reminds us in James 4:8, if you “Draw near to God, He will draw near to you.” Do you remember how delighted you are when a loved one draws near to you, wanting to be close to you and spend time with you? These times with God are special days and will be in our memories for a long time to come. They strengthen our faith as they show us God is in control and still working in the hearts of His children.

Take time this week to show those closest to you your appreciation, and you will also feel better for having thought about the things they do for you. But also, take time for God, appreciate Him and actually, you will feel refreshed and relaxed because of the immense blessing the privilege of communion with God affords us.

This week I have been reading a book about a couple who after having been married for 24 years discover that the wife has Multiple Sclerosis. The story goes through all the details of her illness and the different effects that has on the family. It also maps very graphically what it means to be a caregiver, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for many years.

This book is written very simply, primarily for lay people who are in the same situation as this family, but it is probably the most open, honest account of what life is really like, for the patient, for the caregiver and the other family members. For me there was nothing new to learn about Multiple Sclerosis in its pages, as that was not its purpose, but it affected me profoundly, to realize how often we care for the sick person and totally forget the one who is giving the care. In this world today, it is not to be taken for granted when someone decides to care for a loved one at home, yet seldom do we think of that person”s needs.

I was brought full circle round to thinking about how often we ask people how they are, not actually wanting to hear details, but hoping for a pat answer of , “Fine, thank you and yourself.” When people do have a major issue they wish to discuss, are they free to do it? Would we want to hear, “Not good, actually, I have had a terrible week‚Ķ..”, and if we got such an answer do we know what to do with it?

It is so easy to wear a mask when we are out meeting people and smile when asked how we are. It is often much easier and less problem to give the pat answer and keep the people happy. Yet, there are times when we desperately need someone to come alongside and listen to the hard things. Someone who will not judge us for the absence of the permanent smile pasted on our faces, or for experiencing a bad week. It is however, very hard to find that person, who will accept that kind of conversation, and treat you in the appropriate way.¬† Most get flustered, have no idea how to approach it and avoid asking you next time. Others can”t wait to find another listening ear to pass on the latest gossip to. Shame on us!

In our Christian lives, we are not promised it will always be easy, and there are certainly many Christians who are suffering for their faith, those who have problems finding work because they are believers, but there are also those whom God has allowed to carry very heavy burdens through this life. These people need us, not only to listen but to help carry the burden, without being intrusive into their lives. Cook a simple meal for a needy family, take the disabled child for a walk that the mother can shop in peace, offer to sit with a person who is housebound, to give the caregiver an opportunity to go the gym or take a swim, bring an elderly person out for an outing, or even to church. The opportunities are endless and need not cost us much more than a bit of time, but mean such a lot to those under stress.

But even without that much burden, everyone has “lousy” days: days when we would like to hide under the blankets and not come out till another time. These days do not mean we have “lost our joy” or “committed some crime.” Merely, that we are overtired, over stressed, over worked, needing a break or an uplift. What do you think Jesus felt like that night in the garden of Gethsemane when He asked God to remove the cup if possible? He had no real intention of giving up as He knew what he had to do, but the burden was proving hard to carry.

Let us think and look at the person we are asking after in church or even in the workplace. Look at them in the eyes, show concern and ask more probing questions than, How are you doing? Offer some kind of help without being asked. Don”t say, Can I make you a meal? But rather, Which day would be best for me to leave a meal around for the family? When is it appropriate for me to have a few hours alone sitting with your mother to let you get out? The caregiver will appreciate it and the housebound person will appreciate a different face and other conversation for a while, as they have very little to look forward to in a week.

Even if you are feeling a little down yourself, do it for someone else and you will be uplifted, as well as realizing afresh that there are always those much worse off than you. There is nothing like this realization to help shake us up to get on with life. If you would like to read the book called Silent Struggler by Glen Mollette, I highly recommend it.