Welcome
to my General Store!
After my Malawian friends had left, I turned my attention
once again to my project of sharing true stories of startling coincidences,
this time in a blog. The delightful one
of “joined-up whiting” must be included, I thought, but if I showed a picture
of the card would that be a breach of copyright? I wrote to the artist, Simon Drew, asking for
his permission. To my great pleasure, he
sent me another of his witty cards, this time The Joy of Gardening, in which – in ‘joined-up writing!’ – he gave
me his approval and wished me luck with my stories.
Chuckling at the quirky gardener and the six witty rhyming
elements of gardening, I looked round my living-room for a place to display
it. My gaze suddenly fell on the
flower-pot and dish which Lizzie and Suzgo had brought me from Malawi. Knowing nothing about me except my name, they
had asked a local craftsman to carve my first name on the pot and my surname on
the dish. I was, of course, delighted
with this thoughtful present but, as all my houseplants were too big to fit
into it, I popped in a cheerful little artificial flower.
Now, as I viewed the card and the flower-pot together, I
laughed out loud when I noticed the similarity between the two
flower-pots! I especially liked the way
in which the seeds sown in picture one had bloomed by picture six, as this
reflects my hope that the invisible seeds which I want to sow in this blog may flourish,
bringing moments of cheer - and even food for thought...
But I’m a bit “slow
on the uptake”. It took another three
months before it suddenly dawned on me that on my kitchen window-sill I had
another of Simon Drew’s witty creations on a gardening theme! It is a mug specially designed for gardeners,
as it has a useful lid to keep insects out.
For years, this is the mug which I have produced when my gardener
Russell, whom I nickname “my guardian angel” has come in for a coffee and a
cheery chat.
(As well as making me laugh with his witty, often risqué
jokes, he often comes out with “Just you keep on being a Christian, Kath. Whatever floats your boat! But for me that’s all just a fairy
story. What lights my candle is Rangers F.C!”)
Opposite the window-sill is a tall kitchen cupboard. On the inside of the door is a small poster
which I created many years ago when I still lived in Alloway. Admirers of Robert Burns will recognise the
Burns Monument in the background – but may have more difficulty with the
words!
He
(Jesus) said to them “When, therefore, a teacher of the law has become a learner
in the kingdom of Heaven, he is like a householder who can produce from his
store both the new and the old”.
But I also like Eugene H. Peterson’s version in The Message:
“Then you see how every student well-trained
in God’s kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything
you need, old or new, exactly when you need it.”
I have come to think of my collection of true stories (from
my diaries dating back to the 1970s) as being a general store, to which I welcome customers. It’s now open every Saturday, with a new special
offer! So, I hope you’ll visit me then…
Footnote:
Find more of Simon Drew’s witty creations on www.simondrew.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment