Context and Ketchup

It was time to tidy up the kitchen. As I wiped down the

surfaces, I noticed a messy accumulation of unused flower

food sachets which had languished by my sink for too long.

Each surplus sachet had been saved from bouquets in case of future need.

It was time to get rid of this mess but throwing them out would be wasteful. Eventually I decided they might benefit my houseplants, so I emptied the contents onto my plants.

The first was a clear jelly-like substance that seeped swiftly into the soil.            The second similarly soaked eagerly into the soil of another hungry plant.              The third was a different, milky colour.                                                                   The fourth one, again, a clear jelly.                                                                        But the fifth sachet, resting in a heavy blob on the soil, was a thick, deep red substance. So red that it looked uncannily like tomato ketchup! Oops!

With a chuckle I wondered whether my houseplant would want chips with the tomato sauce as well! Mercifully the plant is still alive!                                             There is a proper time and procedure for every matter Ecc 8:6

Context is everything! Tomato sauce is perfect on chips but not on a plant! There is a time and place for everything in life.  What feels correct in one context may be incorrect in another.  During lent let us consider context: When to speak and when to be silent; Giving advice only when welcomed; Choosing our battles with grace and always seeking the discernment of the Holy Spirit in all things.

With Love,   Rev Gill x          

   If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all. Jam 1:5