Nostalgia Galore!

I was in Linlithgow today.
It's a lovely burgh town West of Edinburgh.
Mary Queen of Scots lived there during Reformation times.

My connection with the town goes back to my university days.
We used to go dinghy sailing on the loch all through the winter.
I must be getting soft these days, for then I had no wetsuit!

My first long-term job was in Linlithgow too.
Our electronics factory made Radar Systems of various types.
At one time one of 'my' radars guided aircraft at Gatwick airport!

Today I was with some friends and we made some time to remember.
It was wonderful to sit in St Michael's church.
It dates back to Queen Mary's time - and beyond.

I wasn't thinking that far back.
But what a journey I have been on through the years.
I was remembering spiritual events in my life.
I was remembering places where I have worked.
I was remembering parts of the world where I have travelled.
I was remembering people I have known.

What a complex and tortuous route I have travelled.
At no time would it have been possible to predict ahead.
Yet when I look back it seems like at all hangs together;
like I was travelling on a trajectory - although not a simple one!

Experts in Chaos Theory say that a butterfly flapping its wings in California can trigger a chain of events that result in a tornado devastating the countryside in Central USA.

The smallest of decisions in our lives can lead to momentous events - maybe positive or maybe negative - that we could not have predicted. For some people this possibility leads to an inability to choose what to do. They cannot make any decisions for fear of making the wrong decision.

Having a friend to guide us is a great help.
We can talk over the issues and decide together.
It helps to have a friend who is knowledgable and wise.
It is good to know our friend will travel with us on the journey.

Wouldn't it be great if our friend had our best interest at heart?
How wonderful it would be if that friend knew what lay ahead!
We could do with a friend powerful enough to carry us through.

Were would we find a friend like that?