The Keepsake

simplicity // 6

the Keepsake

What would you save, if you awoke in the night to find your house burning down?

After people and pets, you can probably think of one or maybe two things that would really be worth trying to save. Some old letters, perhaps, or a family Bible, or a photo album, or a keepsake. It’s funny, when you stop to think about it, but you probably wouldn’t want to save the biggest or most expensive consumer durables first. There are other, humbler items which maintain a much higher value altogether.

One of my most precious possessions is a tiny piece of copper given to me by my grandfather. It used to be an old penny – that’s how much it was “worth”! - but it was whittled into the shape of a Spitfire by a German prisoner of war, and given to grandpa as an act of friendship and reconciliation. He then passed it on to me – the best kind of hand-me-down you could hope for, rich in symbolism and human significance. I have often imagined the first time it fell into my grandfather’s hands, and here it is, now, in mine.

It challenges me to ask: why, if most of the stuff around me is so ephemeral, do I gather so much of it to me? For here is something of true worth. It is tiny, and takes up no space, yet I will treasure it always. Until that is, I pass it on, too.

I wonder, how much of what we “own” in life is of real worth? And how much of the rest of our stuff owns us?

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action point

Make an inventory of the things that are truly of value to you. Your dearest objects. What do they say about what’s best about you? Look them out, today, and spend a little time enjoying them. Tell someone the story behind them - and please tell us, if you will...

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rsvp

“Lent, for me, is about the love of God, so... I will make space by pausing daily. I am moving towards the love of God, ‘passing it on’ as I discover Him more. I will become more fully present as I go by learning to listen.” Mark

“As I cut my apple (‘the Melon and the Knife’), I thought about the potential the seeds hold for new life and new beginnings and that, if planted, as the seedling grew, it would face many hazards along the way, but would one day grow into a strong and beautiful tree. Something I had never seen before held such promise and so many possibilities. I have kept one of the seeds and stuck it in my journal to remind me.” Paula

“The alarm is both a wake-up call from slumber and a warning. The chilling tones of the tsunami warning sirens in Japan, and the sight of the facemasks being worn by so many, have caused me to give thanks for each breath of fresh, chill, (relatively) clean air that I can breathe. We take it far too much for granted.” Mark

“Not taking things for granted: this is one of the things I am learning from life here in Malawi – when people don’t have so much they may truly appreciate what they do have. At a friend’s 40th birthday party recently he thanked God that he was alive, having seen three of his brothers and two sisters die before reaching this age. It’s a perspective to hold onto.” Jane

“I have struggled to get into this journey, as it’s evening here in Australia when I get your e-mails! I told myself yesterday to stop worrying; God meets me where I am. Today I went with my family to a gorge just 15 minutes away from our home; we had no idea that we lived so close to such beautiful places when we bought our home. The silence was breathtaking. I can't wait to return, as it felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders as I stood still and listened to the new sounds of wildlife and watched kangaroos hop into the shade. I sometimes have to tell myself “Stop, look and listen!” Today, I stopped, looked & listened and enjoyed the peace. What a great journey this Lent is now proving to be.” Helen

“I encourage Eve and others to persist in trying to find the quiet space. As soon as we sit, all kinds of things rush into our head. Finding the quiet space within ourselves can be like clearing out a dirty drain - you have to remove the dead leaves and bits that have collected there before the water can flow freely again. If you are sitting and hoping for stillness, wait until the point you feel it’s not working, then continue to remain still and you may find in those extra moments that God helps you to find the inner self and the spirit will flow again. It worked for me this morning.” Kirsty

“Oh the paradox of simplicity. As a mother of four boys and a vicar's wife to boot, I seem to live in a house full of clutter - the clutter of people's expectations (including my own of myself), the clutter of the Internet (can I go on the computer mummy?) and middle-class family life in the affluent West. I will make space by only checking emails once in the morning and once in the evening and turning the computer off in between. It's about discipline. It is so good to know that others are in the desert too, hidden from sight by a sand dune, but there, nonetheless.” Jemma

“The awareness of breath helps me to come into a space inside of joy. I am alive, even after the trauma of a breakdown of marriage of 25 years and all that has been unravelled and endured. I am clearing a space to listen, think and feel out of my pain, by taking the time to breathe.” Cheryl

“Just finished breakfast, failed so far in our/my fast. Today is the first day of the rest of my life: it’s the only 14th March 2011 I will ever have. Lord bless this day...’ Keith

“I always knew that it was all or nothing between me and God, for what could it mean to love and trust God except for that to be everything? What else might suffice? Of course, the nothing was never just nothing, it contained a longing that could only be filled by it becoming everything, which it now has.” Ian

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May you savour the small things today.

Go well!

Brian