Getting The Next Picture Ready

When I was a child, missionaries** would return from Africa or wherever, and we’d go along to church and they would show us slides of their work, using projectors like this one. Dad or Grandad were often asked to operate the kit, being technical types.

One time, I remember Grandad showing me how it worked- you had to put one slide in the carrier [back to front and upside down, if I recall correctly- to get it the right way on the screen] and while that one was being projected, you had to get the next picture ready.

Grandad said this to me

“Ang, always have the next picture ready in your life. Sometimes things will be awful, the picture in front of you will be sad, or cruel – but have the next picture ready to slide across and fill the screen, and make it a beautiful one. A picture of flowers, or of people who love you, or of some evidence of God’s blessings. When the bad things happen, focus on the picture of something lovely, good, and kind, and that will help you through the tough times”

I have never forgotten his wise words, and they have been a real help recently. So no pictures today of the chaotic bedroom floor, the soaked, stained carpets, the empty jewellery box, or the smashed up back door. Here are some of the pictures I have had in the other side of the slide carrier – ones I have focussed on to get me through.

So many flowers [even daffs all the way from, Cornwall], greetings cards, chocolates from a neighbour, Baklava from Wiltshire, newlaid eggs from the hens of a friend… These wonderful signs of love and kindness have been true Godsends, lifting our spirits and helping us to keep going. Thank you!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.

**In view of yesterday’s post, I feel obliged to point out that even I am not old enough to have met Mary Slessor, although my Mum did once meet Gladys Aylward, the great missionary from China.