"Three Returns to Drymen" CHILDHOOD MEMORIES PART 2

                                       continued............................

                                                    

Brilliantine intrigued me. His battered soft hat was never off his head. He slept on it. His creased jacket draped around him, and a well used pipe balanced in his mouth. 
"Why do they call you Brilliantine?" I asked. For the first time he raised his hat to reveal his bald head. "Digger says I used so much Brylcreem to slick back my hair that it fell out, he quipped,"axle grease" he called it. "Brilliantine is another name for Brylcreem" He squashed his battered chapeau back on to his white cranium.
"You can call me BAL-AN-TINE, that's my real name" 

We all sat on the grassy Endrick river bank as a warm zenith breeze brushed past us. I watched Ballantine as he patched his  fishing wader with what looked like a kit to repair bike punctures. His wet sock suspended on a post in the sun drying. I noticed a scar on his foot.
"Did you cut your foot" I asked. "No, snake bite! I got it in the jungle" 
"Gulp! you were in the jungle?" "Yep, I was lying covered in my camouflaged coat as the Japanese soldiers went past me,the snake crawled over me and sunk its fangs into my foot. I grabbed it ,tied it  in a knot and lobbed it at the Japs" 
He stuck a crow feather in my hair," now your camo is in place go and hide in the grass, we wont see you"
I could hear the guffaws from Digger and Daddy beside us.
Daddy, said not to listen to him,he was in the Navy!!
       
                                                              
         Oh, the innocence of the child. Nevertheless, it did not stop me crawling on a reconnaissance mission with feather and twigs in my hair. Rabbits be afraid, be very afraid.

Digger was a very interesting character. I will tell you about him in my next Blog.  

Make someone laugh to day.            It's good medicine.
   
 Lets all try and throw off our camouflage and be true witnesses for Jesus in this changing Christmas.                                                          

"Three Returns to Drymen" REFLECTION OF CHILDHOOD.

"Don't sit over the wheels, it's too bumpy" good advice from my Dad. I was on my inaugural fishing trip.
He had been to this river many times with his two compatriots, now I was to be one of the "men" quite an   
honour for a six year old.  Laden with my little kit bag  and landing net I jumped from the  metal step 
stumbling, just staying upright, the smell of diesel fumes fresh around the bus.
 Digger, Brilliantine, Jock, (Dad) and me had arrived in Drymen (pronounced, Drimin)

First sight of the River Endrick situated at the south of Loch Lomond was one which I still remember today. Deep, slow moving, dark tea coloured water gliding around a bend. Sandy beaches gouged out by the flow.
Digger in his low base voice broke the silence "Time to drum up" with quiet agreement we gathered wood, lit a fire and set the black tin into the burning fire. Tin mugs were topped  up as night fell. The aroma of fire, food and tea, lingered on as Digger,the ever comic raconteur held court.

                                                    

Dad appeared out of the dusk with half moon shaped corrugated metal  and put together a shelter and bed for me.I fell asleep quickly as the three comrades set off for a place to ply their sport.     

I woke with a frisson of fear that made me yell in the darkness. Where was everyone? where was my daddy?  I was terrified and alone.
Out of a dark place I felt a pair of strong supportive arms enfold me and I felt the peace of security and safety.
                                                       
 I have been to many dark places in my life since that night. This is not uncommon to us all.
As you read this memory, are you in a "dark place" Do you feel there is no way through?
So many of us are slaves to illness, depression, fears of the future, guilt, financial uncertainty.
You know your own situation.

I HAVE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO FEEL THE UNFAILING ARMS OUTSTRETCHED TO COMFORT YOU.   EXPERIENCE GOD'S COMPANY. YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.
HIS ARMS ARE NEVER FURTHER AWAY FROM YOUR WHISPERED PRAYER.

             
                                                               
 

ROLLING OUT THE BARREL

               

                               Annie Edson Taylor

                           Conquers Niagara Falls

" A 63year old woman travels over the falls in  a barrel ........and lives to tell the tale."

 When planning a birthday celebration, a ride in a barrel over Niagara Falls is probably the furthest from peoples minds.

On 24th October 1901 in an attempt to avoid poverty, Annie took the risk and became the first person to travel over N. America's most celebrated waterfall in a barrel.
Thousands gathered, for twenty minutes the barrel bobbed in the mist,then over it went. 
It reappeared and out she came, a bit bedraggled but alive.

Shaken and Stirred

A cat was sent over first, picture is of both on tour.

 Life is full of risks, we can't avoid them, some of choice others by habit.
Continue to say prayers for those Christian's who live with risks twenty four seven.
Those who show extreme devotion to express a Love which surrounds all peoples of the world.
 The persecuted church workers are not adrenaline junkies, they are driven by a call to obey the great commission to carry the good news of a life changing "WAY" 
 
In today's society we can chose to take the outward physical risks of hobbies or more demanding sports.
In business we carry out Risk Assessments in strategic planning and health and safety in an attempt to reduce risks.  

However,for many the emotional risks of speaking out what we believe God's Word means to us, can result  in being ostracised by work colleagues and friends because of their Christian beliefs'. 
For  many, the changing attitudes of society and the stance on our Bible based convictions may create the risk of being old fashioned.
I am sure you can add many more risks.

Thanks for reading, feel free to comment. 

"When you pass through the waters I will be with you and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you"
                                                                         Isaiah 43v 2