Three stories I’ve heard in Ireland this week…
Crunch point: A pivotal moment or factor that can determine the outcome of a situation.
David writes his own plays, has done some acting; he’s been involved with theatres for many years. Out of work, he saw an advert for a ‘theatre assistant’, so he applied.
He was pleased to be invited for an interview, but surprised to discover that the interview was at Ipswich hospital. He arrived and was even more surprised when he was asked to put on a strange white suit.
Crunch point: He realised that the job on offer was to assist in an operating theatre.
On the last day of Queen Elizabeth’s 2011 visit to Ireland, she came to Cork and visited the market. All of the stall-holders took special care with their displays. She stopped by a man selling fish. ‘What sort of fish is that?’ she asked.
‘We call that, ‘The mother-in-law’ because it’s the ugliest fish there,’ he replied.
Crunch point: How would she respond? She laughed heartily!
Some Irish lambs live in the damp valleys. They live an easy life in fields of lush green grass; there’s plenty for all to eat. Some lambs up the hills. It’s a harder life. There’s not so much grass so they live on heather and gorse, which is more nutritious.
Crunch point: The lambs are taken to market. The meat from lambs living on the hills is more tender, more flavoursome…
Reflecting on David’s job, the Queen’s fish-stall owner and the farmer’s lambs… Seeing the rugged Irish coastline… I remember Jesus’ story of the two men who built their houses, the wise man on the rock, the foolish man on the sand.
Crunch point: The wind blows, rain falls and floods come. The house on the rock remains; the house on the sand collapses.
Musing on Jesus talking about ‘hearing his words and obeying them’… my wisdom or folly… my past and potential future crunch points… the security of my foundations.
malcolmsmusings.org 