Get a New One

My old metal watering can has gone rusty. The water I pour into it drains out through holes in the bottom. I need a new one.

In the old ‘There’s a hole in my bucket’ song helpful Liza has constant advice for Henry to mend his holed bucket. Practical Henry sees the problems with her advice. It’s a long, humorous but tedious song reflecting a woman advising a man on practical matters – and the frustration experienced by both parties.

Perhaps if Henry bought a new one it could save a lot of time and trouble – and make the song much shorter… but if Liza knew of Henry’s intended purchase that could result in a lengthier debate about need, priority, colour, size and quantity… making the song even longer!

Several friends whose knees and hips have worn out, have got a new one… one friend has a new shoulder, another a new jaw… leading to the grandad jokes about buying a new spare hand from a second-hand shop… or Grandson-Luca growing another foot so that he can be taller than his parents…

Yesterday at church Minister-Lou talked about getting a new heart, replacing our heart of stone with a heart of flesh…

A stone heart may be strong but it’s a hard heart, it’s never a broken heart. We may develop stone hearts to protect ourselves, to contain our vulnerability, but stone hearts lead to a stone dead body.

Hearts were made to be flesh hearts that are full of life and action. They may be flawed or damaged, but they are made to be beating, pulsating, enabling blood to flow and take life and health to all parts of our body

We can discuss our condition, needs and possible solutions with the patience or frustration of Henry and Lisa… which will get us nowhere… or we can come to the divine doctor for the necessary transplant surgery… removing the old hard stone heart… replacing it with a new loving, beating, leak-free, life-providing heart of flesh.