DYB, DYB, DYB

As a boy I went to ‘cubs’ – the 6^th Caterham pack. I promised: ‘I promise to do my best, to do my duty to God and the Queen, to keep the law of the wolf cub pack, and to do a good turn to somebody every day.’

Each session started with ‘The Grand Howl’: standing in a circle, together we shouted: ‘Akela, we’ll do our best!’ Our leader, Akela, who happened to be my dad, said: ‘DYB, DYB, DYB!’ We replied: ‘We’ll DOB, DOB, DOB!’

Akela told us: ‘Do Your Best’; we affirmed ‘We’ll Do Our Best.’  

Yesterday…

…I played the keyboard in, what’s grandly called our ‘church band’. Ray prayed that we should play and sing well. DYB

…Lou preached about us being story tellers. Life’s spent telling, listening to, bits of life stories. Lou’s message was that as followers of Jesus we should tell our faith stories and tell them well. DYB

…I spent yesterday talking to people – friends and family whom I’ve known for many years. I was challenged again to do relationships well – showing understanding, empathy, reliability, consistency. DYB.

… I went to ‘New Words, Fresh Voices’. A selection of writers of poems, songs and prose, presented thoughts, ideas and feelings in original creative work. DYB

This morning, reading Ephesians 6… Children, honour your father and mother; fathers bring your children up well; slaves serve wholeheartedly; masters treat your servants fairly. It was a different culture, but the message was ‘DYB’.

St Paul then talks about putting on ‘the whole armour of God’ – the picture of the Christian soldier. The instruction is ‘Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.’ DYB  

Last week in Lowestoft there were several beautiful rainbows. At times ‘DYB’ is a wonderful ideal, but a lonely struggle. The rainbow’s promise is that we have a loving God walking alongside us, sharing the load, encouraging us, ‘DYB, DYB, DYB.’ With his motivation, presence and strength we can reply, ‘We’ll DOB, DOB, DOB.’