Here’s a soundtrack go along with this one:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tqhlp9dOvYA&feature=related

The other morning I got up at dawn to go to a prayer group in our town.  As I cycled through the peaceful streets (at an hour, I must confess, that I had never seen them before) I was overcome with gratitude for living in such a beautiful, idyllic place.  Literally half a second after that thought, a sparrowhawk whizzed past my face and dropped a stunned and dying little bird right next to my bicycle wheel.  So much for paradise.

We all know that life is mixed.  Perhaps as I grow older I realise this more and more (or maybe it’s just that I am more able to face this instead of hiding away in a fantasy world or a dream world).

What is even harder to learn (and something we sometimes go to great lengths to avoid facing) is that we ourselves are quite mixed.  Who really likes looking in the mirror?

Is it just me, or have you ever been on what should be a perfect day out – beautiful weather, great location, loved companions – but then your own grumpiness almost ruins the whole day?

Or have you ever wanted to show love to someone and then done something which turned out to be just the opposite?

They were on to this in the first century: ‘I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.’ That’s in the Bible (Romans).

Ugh.  Just sing along to the song if you are getting depressed at this point.

Life is messy, but our hope has got to be that we are being changed, bit by bit.  I can’t imagine the day when I’ll be able to look in the mirror with complete approval for all that I am but, the Bible presents this as a reality. Anyone who turns to God ‘is being transformed into God’s image with ever-increasing glory’ (2 Corinthians).

I’m on my way, on my way
Every day a little closer on my way
I’m on my way, on my way
I’m running, I’m loving, I’m stumbling on my way