What begins with 'R'?

Huw Williams | 17:23, Wednesday 29 October 2014 | Turin, Italy 

Life, ministry, discipleship, parenting all seem to bring their own unique challenges, some more strange than others. A couple of days ago, in the multitasking muddle of helping to get the family ready for the day ahead of heading to work myself, I found myself with my hands in a bowl full of washing up and a bored little girl presenting me with "Dr. Seuss's ABC" - How hard can it be? I can do this and wash up at the same time. After all, I used to memorise Mahler symphonies.

The performer in me rose to the memory challenge. "BIG A, little a, what begins with A...?" and before long I was in full swing, rattling off the rhymes, Kitty thoroughly enjoying turning to all the wrong pages just to make it harder, but I was undeterred, the old man's memory hasn't turned to mush after all. The washing up has never been so exhilarating.

And then I hit 'R'.

"BIG R, little r, what begins with R...?" Long pause. Kitty's insistence that it was "clock" wasn't helping the wracking of my brains. I rolled my best Welsh R's around my mouth to try and get something moving but eventually, I had to admit to defeat. "Kitty I don't know! Can I start again with S?" She condescended.

And I was off again, but now it was a half-hearted completion of the course to be honest. With 'Z' duly reached, my daughter disappeared in search of superior entertainment, and I hurriedly dried my hands, took up the book, and found the relevant half-page, knowing I would kick myself. And there it was, Rosy's red rhinoceros, in all its rosy red glory.

Thus I headed into the rest of the day in a reflective mood. Life, ministry, discipleship, parenting all seem to bring their own unique challenges, some more strange than others. And others again that are entirely self-imposed.