The Pelicans of Terror

We had a rare outing to the Wetland Trust on Monday - for lunch, and to buy pressies for the 3 youngest great-granddaughters.  We succeeded in having the lunch -  veggie curry pastie for me, shepherds pie for him - all very nice. We followed it with coffee and, I regret to say, a slice of Victoria sandwich, with jam and cream. Well I only had a small slice off Col's portion. But still... 

It was very good and sent us into a flurry of reminiscence  about the Victoria sandwich cakes our mothers used to make. They were both excellent bakers.

We visited the terrifying pelicans (I have never really got over seeing a pelican in a London park swallow a pigeon whole) and the exquisite Merganser ducks, but we only managed to find one pressie - for the youngest girl. I think for the other two we can probably get something small from the Art Cafe, and add some money with it. For all the others, it will be a card with money in it anyway. Our ancient selves would have no idea what to buy for a teenager. 

Once again, I am depressed at how much that tiny bit of walking has hurt. I am exhausted today and in a fair amount of pain. And it was only a tiny bit - the Pelican enclosure is right next to the restaurant.

The Watchtower article for Sunday included this:

Peter urged us to “love one another intensely from the heart.” In this context, to love “intensely” involves stretching the limits of our natural inclination to love. For example, what if a brother offends or hurts us in some way? Our instinct may be to retaliate rather than to show love. Yet, Peter learned from Jesus that retaliation does not please God. (John 18:10, 11) Peter wrote: “Do not pay back injury for injury or insult for insult. Instead, repay with a blessing.” (1 Pet. 3:9) Allow intense love to move you to be kind and considerate even to those who may have hurt you.

So I was thinking of how "the world" - the current system of things on the earth - is doing all it can to push us in the opposite direction. We are not only told to "get our retaliation in first", but we are now encouraged to look for "microaggressions" - that is, to try to find things to take offence at... any tiny thing we can find. 

And look at the results - see any episode of the News, which is recording all the ongoing tragedies, large and small, that surround us.

In contrast, our loving Creator, who is the very Source of wisdom teaches us this:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. 

- 1 Corinthians 13:4-6

Love does not keep account of the injury - let alone go out looking for extra injuries to keep account of!

Which is the way that leads to peace?  Is it Jehovah's way, or the world's?  And which way do we want to go?

It is up to us. We are all in "the valley of the decision".  We need to come to know our Creator and know how to ask for his help - as he will give it.  

Is it easy?  No. Not as things are, with our own imperfect natures to contend with along with the present system of things on the earth.  Is it worth it?  Yes. Yes squared.