Faded and neglected

Walking home this afternoon, I noticed how overgrown our local creek is. It is completely obscured by weeds which are flourishing this spring. The parts where the water is visible are filled with rubbish (our kids have previously counted four discarded shopping trolleys, an old bike and a plastic rocking horse, not to mention general refuse).

Everything I looked at seemed to be overgrown, uncared for or just faded. I was momentarily overcome by decrepitude. It was reality breaking through my rose-coloured glasses.

I like where I live, and appreciate its green semi-ruralness. I am surprised how easily I can block out ugliness and neglect. There are just brief times when I see clearly. When I realise that there is so much that I could be doing to improve life.

There are two things that I can do in response to this. Too often I do the first - feel overwhelmed and paralysed and not change anything. The second is to pray, because I feel helpless.

I need to pray more for this place. The neglected landscape reflects the neglected, lost people.