The Spurtle

Our friend Helen, who was brought up in Scotland, was talking about breakfast. Inevitably the conversation included porridge… the best way to cook it and eat it… stirring it with ‘a spurtle’. Spurtle?!

Apparently a spurtle is a traditional Scottish wooden stirring stick, designed to stir thick foods – like porridge – to create smooth, lump-free porridge that doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

I thought of life-situations this week where a spurtle might be required…

…The children have returned to school – new uniforms, new classes, for some a new school. Some have been apprehensive and hesitant. Some parents have had to encourage, reassure, smooth things out, stir around with their spurtle… and things have been fine.

…Several older folks feel that the world is against them. They feel that life has passed them by, that they are powerless; they have neither the ability nor the will to change things. Life contains unpleasant congealed lumps; perhaps they need help and encouragement to rediscover their spurtle and give life a stir.

…I’ve met folks who used to be active, enthusiastic, committed Christians. Something happened – at church, at work, in their personal life. They haven’t lost their faith but they’ve lost their way. Their faith has stuck to the bottom of the pan. They need a spurtle-stir, perhaps gentle at first.

…I love the Bible verse that talks about ‘stirring up one another up to love and good works’. Some folks stir up the worst in others. We’re encouraged to get our spurtles out and stir up the best in others – enabling love to grow, positive actions to benefit others and lumpy people to be smooth.

…Perhaps God’s Spirit can be seen as an unseen spurtle that keeps us moving, stirring us round, enabling us to be our best. Knowing that I can be unpleasantly inconsistent, I’m praying that the Divine Spurtle will stir the ingredients in my pan together, to be the best they can be… to make me the best I can be.