The Unexpected Gift

Today I met with a group from Street Soccer and Mark from the Manchester Anglican Diocese. We chatted about the difference between physical courage, (rescuing somebody from a burning building) easy perhaps and moral courage, (being open to new relationships and having the strength to heal old ones) harder perhaps.

We talked about asking for help.How its hard when you don't have family around you or you've burnt some bridges. Hard when you have been rejected or the people who should be part of your solution (family and friends)are actually part of your problem.  Simple things like finding a baby sitter become tricky. Home isn't all its cracked up to be perhaps and places like St Aidan's become important as a place to seek refuge and reflection, a support network.

One story shone through as a symbol of what we are talking about when we consider the wider power of a gift. Two group members were having a tough time with each other. One decided to build bridges and brought in a cookbook the other liked. Given as a gift from one to the other a new bond was formed around a simple gift and a thought. We talked about how unexpected gifts with a meaning for the giver and the receiver where better than the ones we are obliged to give.  Flowers bought hurriedly from the garage when you forget an anniversary can be an insult but the same flowers bought just because you needed cheering up can mean a lot.

The group talked about their sadness when people leave the group under tricky circumstances. How they would like to see them again or tell them that they still think about them. And at the other end how do they welcome new people? Those who are wondering what the expect and we might be wondering about. We talked about words sent hurriedly over facebook and how slowing down what we want to send makes a difference. Illuminated texts likes monks created, text etched into wood, melted into glass, edited stories or poems or words sewn give us time to consider what we want to say and its meaning. When given gifts of words poured over can mean more.

We are hoping to keep chatting about ideas around the title "The Unexpected Gift" and perhaps we will create something profound together.