My mind wanders . . .

I was reading something the other day and came across an article which was describing the culture of African Bushmen. I have always found other cultures fascinating and they were every bit as fascinating as any other I have read about. You can learn a lot about a people by reading about their ways. For instance, and I thought this was fabulous . . . when an African Bushman notices a brother or sister of his tribe coming out of the brush he greets them with the words, "I See You!" The response from the arrival would be. "I am here!"  

 When I read that I thought to myself . . . how very wonderful!  How absolutely profound!  In a world that increasingly becomes crazier and crazier, where one can quite quickly lose their identity, and become as nothing . . . how very affirming such a greeting seems.  For with this simple and direct affirmation, it is possible to secure one's own presence . . . in effect to say . . . I AM HERE.

I AM HERE . . . I AM HERE . . . I AM HERE . . .

And I matter. 

There are of course people in all of our lives who validate our presence by seeing us regularly . . . they are people who have helped to shape the foundations of our self worth . . . Grandparents, Parents . . . siblings, extended family if you are lucky enough to have some . . . close friends.  When I think back on my life, other than my mother and father, the one person who first rejoiced at my presence would have been my maternal Grandmother.   I was a difficult baby, crying a lot . . . and so I was taken to stay with her for a time as my mother just couldn't cope with me.  From her I received unconditional love and feelings about myself that have helped to shape the bedrock of my self worth . . . and so it has gone all through the years of my life, with different people at different times all taking the time to acknowledge and appreciate my presence . . . affirming that I am here and that I matter.

That's all anyone really wants I think . . . to be seen and to matter . . . to be loved for just who, what and where they are in their lives.  To have their presence rejoiced, and maybe even celebrated in small and simple ways.   I don't mean in the "paparazzi stalking" way . . . but simply in the "YOU count" way . . . 

In a culture which erases it's humanity and celebrates celebrity, beauty, money and success . . . which plays down and ignores anything else . . .  proclaiming them as being trivial and un-important . . . we so very much need to be seen and to be quite simply acknowledged, to have our presence noted . . . to know that someone cares.   WE are not invisible.  WE count.  WE are loved.  WE matter.  And by that I mean . . . everyone.

This is the last Sunday that our church block of services will be three hours long.  After this week we are moving to a two hour service. This will be great for families with small children I am sure. Our church is moving to a more Home Centred/Family Based type of worship/study. Wish I had a family to do this with. It will be a challenge for Empty Nesters and Singletons.  But, as with anything, you can only get out of something what you are willing to put in.



A thought to carry with you for today  . . .

“When we treat people merely as they are, 
they will remain as they are. 
When we treat them as if they were 
what they should be, 
they will become what they should be. ” 
~Thomas S Monson  

 

 

 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today, a dessert for New Years . . .  Salted Caramel Pavlova.  Yummo! 

Have a beautiful Sunday!  Don't forget! 

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And I do too!