OK so a little bizarre

I like to walk when I pray, as I said to someone yesterday for me ‘prayer is a whole bodily function’… maybe does not quite communicate what I meant, but pace of walking depends on nature of the praying, and even hand movements kinda sync when I pray. (Perhaps when I get mature, that elusive second half of life – elusive for me – I might settle down, be able to meditate, pray properly etc…, but as I say just a little too elusive for me as my DOB on passport does not seem to signify expected maturity level. Ah well, I am happy.)

I was pryaing into a situation today that involves something that needs resolving, and (OK let me use the charismatic language of ‘God said to me’ even if clinical tests were to show that it is overactivity inside my head) God said to me:

Do not seek legal resolution but seek a redemptive solution.

Those kind of phrases are just too clever for them to be solely the activity of my head. Really helpful with regard to the situation, for legal resolution often means court finds in favour of xxx and by implication not in favour of the other party.

Redemptive solution might / might not align with a legal resolution, but essentially will bring about a win / win. Even if I ‘lose’, I win for the outcome is to align me with God’s favour.

And the cross… I don’t think was about legal resolution. The ‘law’ was and remains broken (like the Prodigal Father whose outrageous behaviour undermined the societal norm, the one set by the Mosaic law). But the solution is redemptive. Oh yes! The result of redemptive solutions is a move toward the perfection that will come, it results in ‘I am not who I was, even if I am not yet who I am going to be’.

Certainly helped me pray.

As I finished today I said something crazy to the Lord (OK you have never done this). I said in the light of new way of communication how do you sign off? Zero time gap, and with the question out there from a somewhat mindless head… ‘With a smiley face’. I like that!

In Oliva, where we are currently, we still have a tradition that has all-but finished in Spain of an announcement being made in each street when someone has died. Final words… ‘Rest in peace’. Still meditating on heroes who have passed away recently from within my world – Christine Noble and Gerald Coates – I thought of Simeon in Luke 2. Now I may depart in peace. Rest in peace is something we say not inappropriately, but how much stronger is ‘depart in peace’. Having fulfilled what I was about, and fulfilling will mean somethings were not fulfilled for there is always a percentage that seems to ‘die’ in order for there to be a resurrection… way to go.

A little bizarre, the sun was shining but no evidence of sun stroke, just a sweet way to walk.

Go find and pray for redemptive solutions, live in peace, depart (when that comes) in peace, and in the meantime read the notes I leave you – you will recognise them by the smiley face at the bottom.