Sunday, October 1 - CRACKERS IN THE BATHROM
Judith Oliver
Crackers In The Bathroom
Thank you for coming this morning – a new
minister can never be quite sure – it you came to
check me out – or because there’s an important
meeting following! I’ll take the former.
This summer I flew to Calgary to see my brother.
We gathered at their cottage in Windermere in BC –
and were about 8 miles south of the fires. But that is
not my focus.
I happened to let my sister in-law know that often
about 3 am I’d waken and go looking for some
crackers / peanut butter to calm my restlessness - and
help me back to sleep.
And so I did – up to the washroom for about the
2 nd time – about 2:30 am and there on the bathroom
counter (you guessed it) was a plate of crackers!!
Really? Of all places? I was surprised – startled in
fact – and then I laughed.
What a kind and gracious thing to do!! How
thoughtful!!
I didn’t eat any of them!!
Maybe it is my nursing background – bur somehow
crackers in the cottage bathroom didn’t fit my mindset.
But I thought of this so many times - - -that her
thinking ahead – her concern for my need – and her
kindness …or – maybe she just didn’t want me
rummaging around in the kitchen cupboards at 3 am !!
I went to see my brother for two reasons – 1) I love him
dearly and always enjoy his company!
And 2) He’s 11 yrs younger than I – and he had been
diagnosed with prostate cancer. It threw him – (and
us) he panicked you might say - and refused to believe
the diagnosis.
By the time he understood how serious it was - it
was now “advanced”– he had surgery 3 hrs – then
radiation x 3 wks. He’s fine – now ….but honestly?,
…life has changed.
He has a much greater tolerance now for those whom
he saw in much more severe conditions - as they too
took their turn at cancer treatment.
Odd how in life – our bad news can be flipped on its
head – and another kind of good emerges.
Jesus said – in his prayer – Give us this Day our
daily bread. Concern for our lives and well-being.
Kindness and graciousness. My sister in-law and
brother are not what you’d call religious – and yet, like
so much of humanity who say I’m not religious – I’m
spiritual - the kindness and graciousness lives within..
I recall cooking supper one night for me and my
husband – just a stir-fry . a bit of rice – topped with
some chicken and veggies. And I said to him – “this
meal costs so very little – no one in the world should
ever go hungry!
Reminds me of the young man who was too poor to
get his teeth fixed. As a result, there he is at age 23 –
with only four teeth! Now, you can’t ‘sink your teeth’
into a steak – if you have only 4 mis-matched teeth!
You can’t eat corn on the cob – and your facial
appearance – is affected I suppose.
THEN …. HELP came!
In the form of a benefactor, a dentist volunteered his
services to this young man – and the Change began.
He hardly recognized himself – for he began to wear a
smile that would stop the world – In fact he just
couldn’t stop grinning. When the outer countenance of
this young man improved, so did other things, like
improved health / Improved Self-image / Improved
job..Transformation!
it is my firm belief that this is exactly what the Gospel
message of Jesus is all about. It’s about the kind of
change Jesus teachings bring to people.
We need – more than bread to live! Bread is symbolic
– in many ways – of the physical needs of our lives
and living. This young man received what Jesus
always seeks to give each of us – a transformation!
A little uplift for your day …..Transformation comes in
many ways…A newspaper story once told about a
mother of eight, she had been visiting next door.
When she returned home she went into the living
room where she saw her five youngest children
huddled in the center of the floor -- on her new carpet -
- very much involved with something wiggly and
squirmy. The perplexed mother looked closer.
To her total dismay, she discovered that the children
were gathered around a family of skunks. In her
horror she screamed, “Run, children, run!”
They did. Each child grabbed a skunk - and ran.!!!
We need More Than Bread :
We need so much that the world has – and can’t find.
Food for the soul / Transformation of the person
More than bread – we need “the means” with which to
live”.
We need love and acceptance!
We need to laugh – to find a bit of humour every day –
we need a smile that looks us right in the eyes
And we need someone to hold us - and understand
when we cry!
A wiser person than I once said :: that humans
have four basic needs.
One is the need to be nurtured.
Next is the need to be needed.
Third, the need to be noticed.
And finally, the need to be nudged.
- I was nudged by the crackers in the bathroom to
think again about myself - if I am kind and
gracious.
- My brother was nudged to think that he is not
invincible – and subject to the same kinds of
difficulty that others encounter!
- And each of you are nudged I’m thinking to live
happier and better – because you come to this
place Sunday after Sunday and receive the
message of love and kindness in this Sanctuary
of people! And Carolyn & Deborah
May the symbols of Christ’s LOVE be in you this day
as we receive a bit of bread and a grape of the true
vine ….For surely we need more than bread
Amen!