It was a Wild and Stormy Night...

... or at any rate it was a Wild and Stormy Day we woke up to on Saturday.  Jean and I had to cancel our outing - she would have been blown away like an Autumn leaf if she had set foot outdoors.  The sea was incredible. I spent rather a lot of the day watching the waves - all that power and energy.  But what else did I do? Not a lot I'm afraid. Some studying, and a bit of housework.  I feel like I am running on enpty at the moment - a combination of age and arthritis I guess

Jackie came round for fish and chips and Strictly Come Dancing.    And this morning Captain Butterfly left early on metal detecting business, while I went to the Kingdom Hall for the meeting. 

We had an excellent talk from a visiting brother, all about maintaining joy in Jehovah's service.   He used a very effective and simple illustration about how our service to God is not a burden, but an aid, a vital help for us.   He asked us to imagine we were walking round a supermarket picking up stuff - bread, milk, cereal, potatoes etc - with our hands getting more and more full so that we are about to start dropping things. At that moment the storekeeper comes over and gives us a basket.

Now, do we see that basket as an extra burden, as something else we have to carry - or is it in fact valuable help, something that will help us with all we do  have to carry?

That is how we need to view what Jehovah requires of us. It is there to help us. And that is so true.  The wonderful teaching we get when we attend the meetings - and the joy we can get from the preaching work, even when there is not much in the way of response. These are all things that help us to carry whatever load we have, and to keep going, with joy.

We all need meaningful and satisfying work to do. And it is quite something to find myself, well into retirement, on borrowed time (under the threescore years and ten rule), doing the most important and urgent work there is - telling all who will listen about the incoming Kingdom of God.