Egham Boiler Room

I really like things that remind us to think of Jesus during the ‘normal day’; things like setting our alarms on our phones to midday to remind us to pray the Lord’s prayer.  I also really like Mother Teresa’s saying “we can do no great thing, just small things with great love.”  I know I always get stuck in this desire to do great things and forget about the day-to-day.

This week has been fairly quiet, and so a good opportunity to do some things I don’t normal have time for.  One such thing was to take the opportunity to spend the morning on the Besom van.  The Besom project receives furniture, appliances, clothes, games etc. which are in good condition from people who don’t want them any more, and hands them on to people who do.  I was on the van for a couple of deliveries.  It was a real privilege to be part of this small gesture of love towards a couple of people who really needed it.

This morning I was reading Richard Foster’s book, Prayer, and was challenged by another lady, Therese of Lisieux and her prayer-filler approach to life, the little way.

The little way… is deceptively simple.  It is, in short, to seek out the menial job, to welcome unjust criticisms, to befriend those who annoy us, to help those who are ungrateful.

He goes on to say that the great thing about the little way is how accessible it is to everyone.  It’s not some holy ritual, doesn’t require a special book, or special people, it’s just an attitude in everyday life, but one which changes us profoundly.

I think many people talk about a similar way of living, but it’s often as an evangelistic tool.  If I love people it will lead them to Jesus, or it will allow me opportunities to talk about Jesus.  Actually I think the key thing about the little way is it challenges our natural selfishness, it means that it really is about loving the other person, not that they might change, but that I might change.