Days and confused

Today I did something silly. I thought it was Saturday when in fact it was only Friday. I got into my Saturday routine and wondered why a radio programme that has run for decades was not on. I rang a pal and found I was a day out.

I am I confess fascinated with these quirks of time: Phineas Fogg gains a day in Around the World in 80 Days, Sam Tyler in Life On Mars goes back forty years and Bill Murray keeps waking to the same day in Groundhog Days.

Days, the poet Philip Larkin said, are what we live in.  

When we are young time seems a limitless commodity but as we age we realise there is only so much time left ‘in the bottle.’ 

An old mystic said we should walk towards time and embrace eternity.  Our Lord  said we should use the time wisely as the days are evil.  Maybe Our Lord appreciated better the brevity of our physical lives. He also knew how are lives would end as in the case of Peter

( John 21.18 )As the parable of man who lays up for the future ( Luke 12.19 ) shows us we are not privy to when we will be called to give account of our lives. 

As in most of life a balance is needed. I have known two workaholics and sadly both died tragically young. A slower pace would have been better for both. I am sure we all know those who seem to have wasted their days. We must be saddened not judgemental I think. 

O, yes, but having an day  did give me time to write this blog.

http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Visits-Events/Special-Services-Events/Autumn-Forum-The-Case-for-God 

Anger is one letter from danger

On Sunday mornings I sometimes go to an Anglican convent near me as they have a boot sale where they sell things very cheaply. They have a tradition of giving little cards with bon mots on them to customers. This one below made me think. 

A couple of years ago I joined a new church. I was very impressed by the kindness and humility of the clergy. However, on one occasion I went to see one of the priests and had to tell him something very personal. I was expecting sympathy along perhaps with correction. However, he was quite brusque with me. It seemed out of character. I was surprised but he is a very busy man so I took the course of accepting his mild rebuke and made a point of praying for him. Up till then I might have reacted with anger. I have to say that as his reaction played on my mind I had to pray through gritted teeth. I remembered though that line in scripture about leaders having to give account for us. Hebrews 13.17

The other day I found out that at about the time I went to see this priest his wife died. 

I am glad I kept my cool. 

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 17.32