Looking Forward, with Patty, Kenny, Debbie and Henri

Yesterday…

…I visited Patty. Patty’s having a grand clear out. What was ‘useful’ in the past is now rubbish. Much has already been turned out and been dumped at the recycling centre. I helped remove wood from a shed. Patty’s being pretty ruthless…

…At Men’s Shed Kenny said, ‘If you ruled the world and could ban one thing, what would you ban?’ Kenny would ban loud and unnecessary car horns; Bob would ban awful-looking tattoos above the collar line; Larry would ban mobile phones – his children and grandchildren are always on them. Impossible, humorous but heartfelt suggestions that we thought would make our world a better place.

…I was chatting with Debbie. Debbie’s just celebrated her fifty-nineth birthday. She’s not looking forward to her next birthday. She couldn’t bring herself to say ‘sixty’ – she can’t face being that ‘old’. I tried to say that she has so much to be grateful for… I hope and pray that by this time next year Debbie will have learnt to accept it.

…I was reading Henri Nouwen: ‘The basis of marriage is not mutual affection, or feelings or emotions and passions that we associated with love, but a calling, a vocation… We often think that the word ‘vocation’ applies only to those called to a religious life, but marriage is also a ‘vacare Deo’, a call of God.’

Today is our wedding anniversary. Fifty-three years ago today… No doubt at some point we shall talk about ‘that day’ – looking back, remembering how life was different then, the people who were there but are no longer with us, the sort of people we were then…

Looking forward… Patty reminds us… sometimes we need a good turn out; what was previously useful should now be dumped. Kenny reminds us… it’s OK to dream about positive future changes. Debbie reminds us… sometimes we must accept the inevitable – even if it’s not too pleasant. Henri reminds us… as Christians, we’re called by God into our marriage – past, present and future.