It has been an odd day, at 10 o'clock Tim and I took Chris and his girlfriend Ness to Downham Market Station so that they could catch a train to London. At a first glance we probably looked like a couple of fussy old hens seeing our son and his girlfriend off on a day trip. But they haven't set off on a day trip, and we were fussing, before they left Tim prayed for them, a little while ago Chris called to say that they'd arrived, and that he was beginning to undergo all of the usual tests before the operation tomorrow. Ness will be staying with another of their college friends who lives quite near to the Brompton Hospital.
I returned home and tried to concentrate on Sunday's service and sermon, well I had to think about something, though I confess that I have spent most of the day procrastinating... letting go is not easy!
This weeks gospel reading contains the familiar story of the young boy who dared to relinquish his five barley loaves and two fish to Jesus. He let them go when he could have hidden them. If he hadn't let them go the miracle may still have occurred, for Jesus could have turned the stones to bread( though we must note his previous refusal to do so), but because he did let them go, because he did place them into Jesus hands he was able to watch as his meager gift became a part of the story that has endured for generations.
In letting Chris and Ness go we relinquished them to God, it would be easy to write this off and say simply, "well they are adults", but there is more to it than that... they are not a meager offering and in Jesus' hands their words and ways might feed the hearts and minds of thousands...
Christopher's operation will be at 8am tomorrow, during it Ness may well experience the longest few hours of her life so far. Please pray for them.
