Floating candles!

I found cluster of candles arranged in this pattern at a  chapel during a wedding service. It was the first time I came across such a decorative use of candles by floating them on glasses of water. 

Candles by themselves when lit during the day or night add a distinctive decor to the occasion.

What was different with this decorative use was the way glasses of different heights and candles of different colours were used. The dry twigs devoid of their leaves provided the support for  the candles to stay without any movement. 

The creative art patterns are exquisite when simple and easily available  materials are  brought together to give a symbolic meaning. 

On of the the artists, whom I met mentioned to me that the twigs represent the support for  the married couple who float in the ocean of life well secured in the confines of God's protective encircling presence.

Simple things can convey profound meaning. This was one of them. I almost missed its meaning. Thanks to the artist who revealed it to me!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

    

Bridesmaids at wedding!

As I watched the bridesmaids lead the procession to the chapel with the bride following them with her family, I was drawn by their cheerful disposition on that occasion. The tradition of the brides maids goes back to a few hundred years. 

I listened to a senior pastor talk about what the brides maids symbolise. They announce the arrival of the bride to those waiting for the wedding at eh wedding hall. They are often ladies who have had a friendly relationship with the bride. They give the bride the support, encouragement and assurance all of which is what most brides would need at the time of wedding. The brides maids offer to surround the bride with their love and offer themselves to be available as friends thereafter. Most brides maids would  stay in touch with the bride as faithful companions in the journey of life. The brides maids are chosen from  among the unmarried friends of the bride(There was an exception to this at this wedding). because, the bride in turn gives them confidence to walk into their marriage  later The bride is a messenger of good news to the brides maids that when their times comes, they too would have friends supporting them in a similar way.  The bride receives support and offers confidence to the brides maids to prepare themselves for their turn. 

As I listened to this symbolic meaning, I realised that the bridesmaids are an integral part of a wedding because, they silently offer the bride the enablement to enter into marriage with trust and confidence. The brides maids in turn  return from the wedding with a joyful anticipation for their wedding.  

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

Grand daughter's gesture of love!

I watched this grand daughter reaching out to her grand father in  special way. They walked beside each other shoulder to shoulder.

Mr. Abraham whom Anna and I  know for several years now talked about three things that give him fulfilment in his life in the eight decade of his life. Being with his children and grandchildren, sharing with others about the love of God he experienced in his life and praying for those whom he knows.

Mr. Abraham and his late wife Annamma spent most of their serving years in helping to set up children's homes in Maharashtra for children from deprived background.

I felt encouraged by the way his grand daughter showed kindness and affection to give him  sense of value and worth.

I feel that most senior citizens are looking for an affirmation and encouragement that would inspire them to live cheerfully and hopefully!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Beyond ourselves!

The children in the campus are getting ready to begin school on Monday.

During a chat with a few of them, I was keen to know what they were expecting from a new term at school!

On of them mentioned about learning new subjects and topics; another mentioned about the preparation for the school annual day; a third boy mentioned about the  long summer holidays after this term during which the family is planning a holiday at a beach resort. A girl mentioned that she was looking forward to meet her friends who had planned to help one of their friends with her studies who could not come to school due to prolonged hospitalisation following a fracture. 

All of them had something to look forward to. Each of their reasons was most commendable. However it was the last person who had thought beyond herself and included her friend in her plans.

It is a question that we too as adults need to consider. How much others get included in our thoughts and plans!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Optic and Views

I grew up in a tradition of having strong opinions. I still suffer from this snare. Recently I had two instances, I felt in hindsight that I dragged my viewpoint beyond a limit. 

While on a morning walk, immediately after those incidents I was given an opportunity to revisit my behaviour towards others on a account of my opinion. 

I watched this ornamental plant from different positions to discover that the bush looked different when  viewed from different positions. 

This sight kept resounding in my heart during the rest of the walk. A child with a ball in his hand was going to the basketball court. He stopped me to ask, if I was not well. I was physically well but he noticed something that made him think the way he thought. 

We think and view through our optic of ideas and attitudes. But we can reposition ourselves and be even more objective if we can include other's views into our thought formation. 

I sent an apology to a friend for expressing myself too strongly, who suggested that often a third view is more likely to be a fair position. I often avoid entertaining this prospect, because of an impression that it is good to be either 'hot or cold' and not 'leukwarm'. 

How much better for for relationships within family and outside if we are open to review our views because truth lies scattered and would have escaped our attention. 

For me it is another journey into adult formation!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

New year Morning!

It was the honey bees that drew me to the flower bed this morning. At the end of 15 minutes, I was yet to get a bee in to the photo!

However, it gave me an experience of how flowers get lit up in the morning sunshine! The picture sequences gave me an insight about impact of the gentle morning sun on making flowers come alive! So there was another valuable learning even when there was disappointment about missing to capture the honey bees gathering nectar from the flowers. 

These are the gains and losses of life each day!

For all of us the call is to look beyond our disappointments!

Later in the day, I heard from a colleague that he missed a bus by a minute or so, but a stranger stopped his car and offered to drop him at the hospital! 

It is important to have this as an outlook to life that we receive grace upon grace all along! So we can close each day gratefully and restfully knowing that we would be provided for according to our needs! This knowledge can dislodge the fear of the unknown!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

The inner canvas of life!

As I sit in the veranda of our cottage on this new year morning, I happened to revisit a picture taken of our front lawn a few months back after the monsoon. It looked verdant, green and fresh.

I want to take this as a symbol for the year 2015. Let the coming year bring to us fullness of purpose and fulfilment in our mission. 

The first thing Daffney does  on most mornings after we let her out of her kennel is to run a few circles around  the lawn and return to be stroked. She has got so used to it that it is one time when she an be least compliant if we wanted her to do something else during this time. 

Life is given to us to live fully, freely and lovingly. There is a dimension of life which gets enhanced each time we have moments of inner quietness when we feel centered in God.

Some birds come to feed from Daffney's food. She sits still till they are almost near her plate and then gets up from her hanging chair. That is enough to chase the birds away. 

I like this composure. Our circumstances are not predictable. But our composure is an inner experience we receive through our habit of stillness before God. 

Let this year bring a restful orientation to our lives!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)