The Lowestoft Journal reported on our local theme park ‘Pleasurewood Hills’. Under the headline, ‘Refurbishment of ‘much-loved’ and ‘one-of-a-kind’ rollercoaster begins’ a spokesman says, ‘The refurbishment of Cannonball Express, the world’s only Schwarzkopf Jumbo V, has started with the trains leaving the park.’
Another headline caught my eye: ‘Food factory cuts the waffle with £2.2m investment that will boost production.’ Apparently, at the Lowestoft ‘Birds Eye’ factory there’s to be a new potato waffle production line that will create 45 million waffles – 18,250 tonnes of waffles – each year.
Yesterday I had several conversations with older folks about the many changes that we have seen in our life-times… changes in entertainment, technology, eating habits, disposable income, expectations… I often return to pray the words of the old hymn:
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see.
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
When I was teaching, from time to time our school was invaded by ‘inspectors’. They asked questions, visited classrooms, formed opinions, made judgements, wrote a report. Whatever we thought about the report, we were required to change our priorities and vision… requiring me to change too.
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise were described as ‘the most famous and best-loved British comedy double-act’. In 1968 Eric Morecambe had a heart attack. His son Gary writes: ‘One immediate result was that the thoughts of power, affluence, riches and a promising future that had once seemed of absolute importance suddenly did not.’
Changing health, changing situations… changes forced on us, over which we have no control… beyond rollercoasters and potato waffles… bring challenges. Seeing friends weary from constant, continuing changes, I return to my God:
‘He will not grow tired or weary… He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength…’
malcolmsmusings.org 