Yesterday we went to Woolbeding Gardens. No idea why we have never been, after all it is the closest National Trust property to us and it is open on a Thursday, but the fact is we had never made it before. It is a beautiful garden, or rather gardens as they have embraced the idea of garden rooms and dedicated spaces, and is limited to 200 people a day, so as the guide said ‘how often can you visit a sold-out National Trust Garden and only bump into one or two people as you walk round’.

The picture at the top of this Ramble was taken at Woolbeding, at the amazing Glasshouse. As I walked out my sister, still inside, saw my reflection in the entrance porch and told me to stop as she took the picture. The thing is though, the picture as you see it, is upside down! As we looked at it last night my sister observed ‘it’s a clearer image in the reflection’. Now there is a reason for that, the glass is slightly tinted which I’m told sharpens the image. But it got me thinking about how often we see ourselves and our lives reflected back to us by the people we meet, the situations we find ourselves in, and even the culture we live it.

Sometimes it is a good thing, it sharpens our understanding of ourselves, and our lives, and brings clarity, just as the reflection of my image brought an extra clarity. I had a wonderful Spiritual Director for many years that I would go and see about every 2 months to talk through my ministry, my concerns and problems, and in fact everything about my life. More often than not just telling him what was happening, how I was feeling, what my worries were, gave me a chance to see things more clearly; to get a clarity I hadn’t been able to see as I mulled everything over in my own head. He didn’t have to say anything, except maybe ask the odd question, he didn’t try and give me the answers, he just let me talk and work things out for myself. The same is true with writing a journal. Just putting thoughts, worries, issues, down in words helps to make sense of what is happening, how we are feeling, and whilst we may not get all the answers it does put things into perspective.

However, sometimes what we are doing when we talk with others, or when we look at the lives other people apparently have, is not seeing a clearer reflection of our own lives but in fact a distorted image. We end up comparing ourselves, and our lives, with what others have, or have done, or how they seem to be. We look at other people and see a perfect life, on the surface, or a successful career, on the surface, and we end up with an image of our lives that is twisted or misrepresented. We don’t see what we are good at, or what blessings we have, because we don’t think we are as good as the other person, or don’t have what they have.

At last Sunday’s service I spoke about how people project themselves, how they distort their own image, especially on social media. How that perfect picture they posted on Facebook may have been taken 100 times before they found the right one. How that perfect holiday, with smiling faces and wonderful weather every day, would still have had the odd disagreement, the odd day of not-so-great weather. Their projected image, that they want the world to see, is not a true reflection of their life but is the life they wish they had, the life they think the world expects them to have. Photoshopped images of celebrities hide the fact that they too can have bad hair days, or bags under the eye’s days.

The picture my sister took at Woolbeding is sharper in the reflection, but it doesn’t change the reality, and I don’t want it to. As I sit looking out over beautiful countryside, preparing for a school leavers service, and the East Dean Flower Festival, the life I see reflected back at me is one that I am content with, one that is blessed in so many ways. Yes, it has its ups and downs, yes it has its problems, but it is my life and it is one that I am truly thankful for.

Rev Sarah

Sunday Worship

Holy Communion
10am
St Andrew’s, West Dean

Rev Sarah Manouch
07468 854864 priestvalleyparish@gmail.com
Please note that I am part-time. My principal working days are Friday and Saturday as well as Sunday. I am not available on a Thursday