Every night at tea time I set my dinner plate on a place mat that has been speaking to me for years - only now am I getting the picture. The place mat has an old image printed on it of my home town. The interesting thing is that the main street and other well known landmarks are all evident even though the image is from over 100 years ago. What really has been catching my eye is the women in the image - all down by the river washing their baskets full of clothes. No automatic washing machines then, not even a scrubbing board - just hour after hour scrubbing by the riverside talking to the other women folk.
Flash forward a century or more and what of all the women folk now - what do they do with all that extra time on their hands now that there is no going down to the river. How will all the free time be filled - watch another sordid episode of Loose Women, the brain numbing Trisha or Property in the Sun?
Don't get me wrong - I am not having a go at women folk. Just the lesson - what are we doing with the free time that all the modern conveniences brings to us - another episode of East Enders, another game on the play station, another game on the Wii.
At least the women at the river side were learning the art of conversation.
What of you and me in 2008 - will we redeem the time? Use those moments to read another chapter, have more time for prayer, have more time to share the joys of our family, talk to the neighbours and tell them the Good news of Christ crucified and risen.
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