For myself, I have no fear in preaching from any
cathedral pulpit; but ask me to flog raffle tickets and I just go to
pieces! Again, women folk appear to be more gifted in fund raising then
the men I’ve met. Indeed, I need go no further than my own county of
Flintshire to see wonderful women pioneering animal welfare in its many
complementary facets. Whereas I have lectured, preached and even
published a book on taking a positive stand in life, remarkable women in
the vicinity are practising what I have preached but often failed to
practise. Yes, I too have been a hypocrite!
As for those ladies who feel that it is not their
gift to verbally speak out for our animal cause, there are those amongst
them who are so exceedingly generous in donating to what others are
endeavouring to do! St Paul in the New Testament was so very grateful to
those ladies who contributed of their substance to the needs of the
early church. Well, I know this that those who have financially
contributed to ‘Christians Against All animal Abuse’ are almost
exclusively the members of the ‘fairer’ sex. Incidentally, I don’t know
why women are referred to as the fairer sex or why gentlemen are
supposed to prefer blondes. ‘Brunettes are beautiful’ is my belief. I’m
married to one! Ah but outward beauty is only skin deep. It is the inner
beauty of the heart that counts and folk need to realise this. Let me
explain:
Around thirty years ago I visited a home for ‘the
incurable’ in Yorkshire. After the Service had closed the matron asked
me to visit one of the side beds slightly partitioned off from the rest.
As I entered it, I felt Jesus within it and at my side. There were
sacred pictures above the bed; but as for the patient within it, I was
startled and taken back. I recognised her as having been one of those at
the ward service previous who’d dribbled, stumbled and stuttered so much
that I felt she was not compus mentus; and I’d then been anxious
to divert my attention elsewhere.
How terribly mistaken I’d been! This poor soul - quite pronounced as
her presence had been, not only through stammering but also due to the
smell of stale urine! – was obviously very much in tune with God.
Consequently, that day within this hospice for the assumed incurables, I
realised – as never before - the truth of St Augustine’s words:
‘Lord, make me beautiful within’, Yes, because that’s the only
lasting beauty that counts! And, incidentally, does not that apply to
the animals as well? Indeed, I deeply admired a lady in my last parish
which was on the Moray Firth: “I chose the ugliest pup from the litter
because I knew that no one else would take it!” she affirmed. Well, what
a truly wonderful lady was Lena! And so was the outwardly odd looking
dog that she brought with her to church every week! Its cute name was
Bobo.
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