A message from the Rev’d Amanda Collinson

Posted by Admin on 28 May 2016, 5:14 pm

Amanda Collinson

Priest-in-Charge

St John the Baptist Church

Northwood.

Tel: 01983 294913

Hello there!

I normally have to really think about what is going to happen in the coming month so I can try and direct my letter appropriately, but there is so much happening on our Island in June I am truly spoilt – we have the Isle of Wight Festival (perhaps I can hear some sighs?), our maritime heritage celebration that is the Festival of the Sea and hopefully a Gaffers’ rally to Yarmouth. Further afield we have Wimbledon and of course the Queen’s birthday celebrations, with the traditional Trooping the Colour but with many more additions this year as it is her 90th, something which will also be celebrated in Cowes at Northwood House!
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There are so many reasons to get out the bunting and pop some bottles of champagne (or something else if that is not a favourite tipple of yours) like we find on the front cover…….in fact I am sure every single one of you has a reason to celebrate this month. You could be getting married, moving home, having a baby, starting a new job……..or could be simply returning home from hospital, walking around the block, seeing the bottom of the washing basket, finishing the weeding, spending an extra hour playing with your children or having an ice cream at the beach.
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We are so quick to complain, moan, worry about….and yet if something goes well, we just expect it to be so and carry on – we don’t stop and say: wow that was great, let’s celebrate it! And so in this month of celebrations I want you to remember every positive thing that happens to you – write them down every day, put them on post-its, so at the end of the month you will have 30 little pages of successes. And as I mentioned above they don’t all have to be huge like completing a marathon, but small, little achievements or wins.
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I remember reading about Mother Teresa and someone had asked her how she could not help but become overwhelmed when there were obviously more people than she could help. She replied by saying that the choice she made was to use the art of subtraction. For example, every time she loved and cared for a destitute and dying person, every time she rescued a girl from prostitution, every time she comforted a hurting soul, she was subtracting from the despair and adding to hope.
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This, in a smaller and less profound way, is what I suggest we do this month. Despite the overwhelming needs that face our world and perhaps ourselves today, we can lovingly and obediently “chip away” at the sadness, the negativity and the pressure that surrounds us on a continual basis. We can stop being negative and start properly acknowledging ALL the positives in our lives and our homes, in our schools, our workplaces, our communities, which will surely bring us all more joy, hope into our lives and hopefully a sense of being part of a positive community. Those of you who watched the programmes with Gareth Malone and the Invictus Choir – just remember how amazing each and every member of the choir was despite experiencing a huge tragedy or injury during their lives! We too can be, in our own way, as awesome as they were….if you didn’t see it, look it up on BBC iPlayer!
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So let’s not just celebrate the Queen reaching a significant milestone or The Who playing at the festival, let’s celebrate people achieving things they didn’t think possible, the little highlights in our daily along with all our Island has to offer us over the coming weeks….. Don’t let it just be the festival fields, the Mall in London and Ivan, of Newport Road, that has flags waving this month – let’s all raise our flags and our glasses to achievements, big and small, and all the positivity that exists in our lives and in our communities!
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I wish you all a sunny, celebratory and fun month!

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Rev’d Amanda.

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