Page 12 - Moravian Messenger June 2019

Very often, relationships and
community are about
'compromise' and about
humility, rather than about being
'right' and 'I told you so'. Often, we want our own way -
or things to go our way - and we get cross and upset when we don't get our own way, or they don't
happen as we want them to happen. Then we have to find a new way of adjusting to the things that we can't change if we are not to have our lives
poisoned continually with angst and upset.
A few weeks ago, my father and I had a disagreement. It concerned some robins that were beginning to build a nest in the compost recycle bin beside the house. For purely pragmatic reasons, I was keen that the robins shouldn't build their nest there because it would mean that the garden waste couldn't be emptied for a couple of months. With everything growing in the garden at this time of year, the bin is in frequent use.
Having discussed it with my father, I thought that he would attend to the bin lid to prevent the robins nesting - but he didn't. Maybe I hadn't communicated clearly enough, but then it was too late to do anything about it. Needless-to-say, I wasn't best pleased, and we exchanged a few cross words about the matter.
However, once I got over my initial displeasure, I had to accept the reality that my choices for using the bin were now limited. I had to find an alternative bin for the garden waste, learn to go with the flow of what I could no longer change, and await the hatching and fledging - however long that took. Instead of angst, I began to get curious about the process. Each morning, I would gingerly lift the lid and count the eggs in the nest; and each night, another little egg would appear. Then, on the seventh morning, I was confronted with mother robin sitting on her nest which by now contained six little eggs. Interest and excitement began to grab me rather than the annoyance I had previously felt. It began to feel wonderful that these beautiful birds had chosen 'our bin' in which to lay their eggs, and my father clearly got pleasure from watching things unfold - as did the cat!
It struck me that if things had gone my way, or the way I had wanted them to have gone, I would have been denied the opportunity of seeing this miraculous and wonderful process unfold. Can we be open to seeing new miracles happening in our Church communities and in our lives, just as they are happening with the robins?
From the Sanctuary
Br Peter Gubi,
Dukinfield
&
British Mission Board (BMB) News in Brief
Br Dimchui Ruangmei and Br Nathaniel Gengmei have started their pastoral placements. Br Dimchui is serving in Ladakh and Br Nathaniel is in Assam. Please keep our brothers in your prayers.
Sr Hoey was the speaker at the Mission Evening in Yorkshire. A retiring collection raised money that will go towards the pastoral placements in South Asia.
Topic of discussion at the Mission Evening in Yorkshire
The BMB are very grateful to the MWA for the money they have recently pledged at their annual MWA Away Day. The money will go to support the following projects: Computers for Shristi Academy, rebuild efforts in Rukwa Province, Tanzania following the devastating impact of Cyclone Idai, the expansion of the dispensary in Tabora, Tanzania.
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