Mobile Phones

When I was in my late teens, it was a very romantic era: There was a weekly dance in the local hall and the girls came dressed modestly in their prettiest dresses and the boys dressed in their very best too. There was also a C of E Ball, a Catholic Ball, a Show Society Ball, a Masonic Ball, and a C.W.A. Ball with wonderful music and great suppers. There was no Television so simple Ballroom dancing was one of the ways young people got together to enjoy themselves which was different from the “Strictly Ballroom” we see on T.V. now, which is mostly a form of gymnastics by scantily clad females. The songs they sang back then were romantic too and I still refresh my wife’s memory by singing to her with songs like: “With someone like you; a pal that’s good and true, I’d like to leave it all behind and go and find, some place that’s known to us alone, just a spot we’d call our own. We’d build a sweet little nest somewhere out in the West and let the rest of the world go by.” You see Audrey and I did “build a little nest out in the West”.

It was a one bedroom house and I got the builders started on it before we went on our Honeymoon and when we arrived back, there it was, as you see in the photo. The Mailman who used a 10 ton truck (instead of a motorbike), on his weekly mail delivery, had delivered our furniture too, so all we had to do to complete the picture was to put the furniture in place and settle in. We were very fortunate to have such a lovely start to our married life weren’t we? Particularly seeing that we had both accepted God’s forgiveness and had learned to “text” God with prayer.

Now before any young person reading this gets jealous let me point out that this house was 90 km from Bourke (the nearest town) and there was no Television in that part of the world. We had a radio but there was no Telephone and Mobile phones hadn’t been invented yet. Therefore if Audrey wanted to find out how her family and friends were (for example) she would have to write a letter and give it to the mailman and expect to get a reply in about 2 weeks. If there was a serious accident well “bad luck” as there was no “000.” There was no electricity either, just kerosene lamps and a kerosene refrigerator and a wood burning stove. Thousands of Australians have lived under worse conditions, not having a nice house as we did, and we had the added “bonus” of being in love, so we were privileged.  Of course there are lots of newlyweds today that are in love, but they would not like to give up their Mobile phones,T.Vs and electricity with all the useful gadgets that are available like air conditioning; not to mention the security of having the availability of “000”, and shops  and Doctors within walking distance.etc.

Strangely though a very large percentage of these young people who avail themselves of these wonderful material benefits that they have to-day, are still “living out the back of Bourke” with primitive conditions as far as their Spiritual lives are concerned. They don’t realise that there are hundreds of “text messages” from God stored in the Old and New Testaments that they have not yet opened; that would make their lives so much less stressful, more relaxed and complete. It is comforting for Christians to know that they have an Eternal future in Heaven when their days here are over of course, but let’s face it, (depending on your age), that may be many years away, and help right now would be very much appreciated by most people. So I recommend that you do as I do and check the bible’s text message “In box” throughout the day where you will find messages like this text from Paul saying “don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what your need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace”; and Paul should know because his life was very difficult. One such “text” that I claim every morning is the one where God says: “I will be with you in trouble, I will deliver you and honour you, and with long life I will satisfy you and show you my salvation.” Now that is the sort of “back up” you really shouldn’t ignore, because it is addressed to all those who are prepared to “believe on Him”. There are stacks of others: “He shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways” is also very reassuring. There is a “text” covering every situation so, if you haven’t done so, you need to read the New Testament and at least the Psalms in the Old Testament, in order to see how your Heavenly Father has catered for your needs.       Best wishes, Tom.