The Pile of Stones

By Friday my eyes seemed to be coming back online, though I felt a bit seasick. I can't see very well with my glasses now, as obviously I will need a new prescription once the healing is done. I can watch the TV without glasses now though!

I got back into it a bit on Saturday - zoomed to field service in the morning and then made an apple crumble for himself. And I zoomed into the meeting this morning and really appreciated the Circuit Overseer's final talk - A Pile of Stones.

He started with an image from Derbyshire, the moorland country of my childhood. The image was, of course(!), a pile of stones, one of the many heaped up on the high moor tops so that people could find the path even in a heavy fog. It is possible to die of exposure out there in Winter so in the days when people walked everywhere they were vital. 

The image I have found is one Col took on the Longshaw Estate in Derbyshire. It is of a natural stone formation, but gives an idea of the amazing landscape - the landscape I grew up with. We used to go out there for picnics on sunny (or at least non-rainy) Sundays. The terrain kept us children completely occupied while our mother could have some well deserved me-time fully absorbed in a book.

She often used to make a Victoria sponge to go along with our sandwiches. At the time we preferred the sticky jammy creamy sugary concoctions from the bakers - oojy goojy cakes we used to call them - but now I would pass all of them by to have a slice of her Victoria sponge. 

The point about the talk was how much Jehovah appreciates those who serve him.  How we can stand out in a world where so many people neither know nor want to know their Creator.  It reminded us how God will treasure our every prayer, our every attempt to tell others about our wonderful Creator.  He stores all these things up in his memory.  Also we were reminded how understanding he is of our failures and weaknesses. How, if we keep picking ourselves up and trying to do better, Jehovah will not hold any of our failings against us.

Here are two key Scriptures. Firstly, 

Psalm 103:12 tells us this of Jehovah:

As far off as the sunrise is from the sunset,
So far off from us he has put our transgressions.

Can sunrise and sunset ever meet? A vivid illustration of how Jehovah will let our transgressions go.  The crux here is are we doing the same with others, especially with our brothers and sisters in the congregation?  Or we cherishing resentments, harbouring grudges?

I am uneasily aware of some big failings here, though I am working on it. But...

And Hebrews 6:10 assures us that  God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name by ministering and continuing to minister to the holy ones.

That is very reassuring for all of us who can no longer do what we did, be it because of age, health problems, family problems, whatever.

Though it is a sad thing to me that I spent the first half of my life neither knowing nor serving my Creator.  And I realise how much happier I would have been, and how much happier I would have made those I love, if I had only listened to the truth sooner than I did.

As Ecclesiastes says: Remember, then, your Grand Creator in the days of your youth.

If I have any young readers, I assure you that this is perfect advice, from Jehovah, who wants nothing more than for you to be happy - to enjoy life forever.