All change! Looking back at August
As a family we have moved house more times than I can remember. Living in a variety of places provided by the denomination and the army. The quality, style and 'liveability' varied. In one house we had a wonderful vegetable plot, in another anything you planted died. One has had wonderful heating and was cosy, another had a breeze even when all the windows and doors were closed.
We have lived in places 'up north', 'down south' and in Germany. If you then count places where you have lived for over a month the list then gets even longer. With all the moves you realise what 'home' is and what makes your home special. You also realise how much 'stuff' you don't need.
Our last manse in Camberley was the place we as a family had lived the longest, the best part of 8 years. As such we had gathered and acquired quite a lot of stuff. So for the last few months there has been some clearing and selling of things we don't need. We still seemed to have a lot.
Both myself and Sue were delighted that when the moving day came the movers said we had approximately 65 cubic metres of belongings, about the same as we had moving back from Germany. There was a simple delight in knowing we did not have as much as we feared. The movers did say, and this was a proud moment, that we did have a 'rather a lot of books'.
Matthew 6: 19-21 always comes to mind when we move, the passage about not storing up treasures on earth, but how much stuff do we all have we don't need! Yes we are all guilty - the middle aisle of some bargain supermarkets has a certain drawer - you never know when a certain item may come in useful !
Moving house also comes with an anxiety about change - having to work out how to live in a new space, where to go shopping and what will life be like in the new place. Well we feel extremely lucky in the manse provided by the URC. It is in Lostock, outside Bolton, on the train line to Manchester and next to the motorway network. It already feels like 'home', and a place where we will be able to welcome and host people.
This month it was all change, no church visits, just leave and moving house. Proverbs 3: 5-6 teaches us that no matter what happens we must trust in the Lord. So this month as we step out into a new home, as I am inducted into this new role, it is all change, but change guided and supported by God.
Revd Mike Thomason