WHY?

 

I think this is one question we fail to ask ourselves enough.

 

Why do we pray?

Why do we tithe?

Why read the Bible?

Why obey God?

Etc.

 

Not that I am opposed to any of these activities, quite the opposite, however sometime if we don’t know why we do certain things there is no longer a purposefulness to them and they are simply automatic observances to a pre-established normal mode of behaviour.

 

Sometimes we don’t ask because the answer would show how truly shallow we have become. It may be that our religious observances are simply a thinly veiled mental juggling act in the guise of a mathematical equation!

 

Prayer + Obedience = Blessing

 

Yes this may seem over simplified, almost like 1 + 1 = 2.  To get 2 you must add 1 and 1.

 

However our motivation may perhaps be selfish and almost manipulative.  Do we do things to earn the favour of God, or even worse do we act the way we do simply to make sure we don’t incur His wrath? Have we abdicated our free will and followed an idea that God has a carrot in one hand and a stick in the other?  Perhaps even slipping so far as to believe we have the carrot and God must now ‘Bless’ us because we have behaved correctly?

 

We also do things out of a misplaced sense of expectation.  “You are a Christian therefore you must…..” (You fill in the blank).  Sometimes our behaviour is not based in a respect and appreciation for what the Lord has done for us on Calvary, Jesus taking our place and paying for our sins, but rather because it is what society or our well-meaning brothers and sisters have imposed upon us.

 

We have allowed others to convince us that Jesus saved us, but we have to make sure we are good enough to earn His continued blessing.  Although not always spoken out load there is a subtle thought that when bad things go wrong in our lives it’s because of something we have done wrong.   

There are some who have been bridled with endless observances meant only to control and maintain the status quo.

 Let’s look at the truth a moment.

 

1.     Prayer

·       We must communicate with the Lord.  Not just to let Him know what we need, but out of a deep desire to get to know Him.

·       Your prayers must be relational in nature.  Jesus told us how to pray in Matthew 6.  It starts, not with an endless length of words meant to get God attention, but rather a simple greeting that establishes the relationship we are supposed to have. ‘Our Father…’ (Matthew 6:9)

·       Don’t be in a hurry.  Stay a while.

2.     Tithe

·       Why does God need your money?  Some will say he doesn’t.  Others say it’s not about how much you give, but how much you keep.

·       2 Corinthians 9:6 – 15 gives a clear and understandable perspective on this.

·       Being guilted into giving doesn’t do YOU any good.

3.     Bible Reading

·       Don’t read it because you have to or because it is expected.  Read it because you want to know more about this man Jesus who died for you, and His father who loves you.

·       Read it so that when people ask you, and they will, you can give them an answer you would be happy with. 2 Timothy 2 :15. 

4.     Obedience and Service

·       John 5: 19 tells us that even Jesus only did what he saw the Father doing.  He knew what he was there to do and he did that.  It may not have been what other people wanted, but it was what the Lord wanted.

Find out why you do, or do not, the things mentioned above.  Be purposeful about your service.  Evaluate for yourself.  Stop listening to the next “New Doctrine” or popular idea and find the truth for yourself.  Don’t settle for a second-hand gospel.  Go to the Lord and ask him to show you what he wants you to do.

 

Keep in mind what 1 Corinthians 3: 12 – 14 says about being a wise builder.  If we are simply acting to keep other people from complaining or getting upset with us then all that work is meaningless in the light of eternity.  Only what is done for Christ will remain.  However this must be a purposeful and God honouring pursuit. (Colossians 3:23 – 24).

 

Finally, live relationally with God.  That’s why you were created. Know why you do what you do and do it on purpose.

 ^“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 3 : 7 – 14)

Shalom

David Mclachlan

THE LIGHTHOUSE

There once was a young man who wanted to be a Lighthouse Keeper. After searching for many weeks he found a Lighthouse Keeper who was willing to show him what it took to look after a Lighthouse. As the young man arrived he saw the stone light-house standing on the rocky shore like a giant sentinel. Its glass top shining like a diamond in the morning sun. He leant his bicycle against it's dark grey wall and knocked on the large wooden door. There was no answer. He knocked again, this time a little louder. From deep inside he heard a muffled cry.

"I'm coming. Hold your horses." Came the reply.

After a short time the young could hear the dull thudding of boots on a stone floor. The old wooden door creaked its complaint as it reluctantly opened, and before the young man appeared the Light Keeper. He wore a large oil skin coat and heavy boots. His grey beard sticking out in all directions.

"Don't get many visitors out here. You must be that young man who is interested in being a Light Keeper?" he asked.

"That's right Sir." The young man replied politely.

The Light Keeper opened the door completely and gestured for the young man to enter. He pointed to an old armchair next to a small fire.

"Take a seat son." He instructed.

The young man crossed to a chair on the far side of the room. It smelled musty and a little damp but the fire provided just enough heat so it was comfortable.

"So you want to be a Light Keeper do you?" the old man asked. 

"That's right." The young man said.

"You had any experience with Lighthouses?‟ The old man asked.

"No Sir." The young man replied.

The Light Keeper then began to tell his guest the history of the Lighthouse. How long it had been there, and more importantly why it was there.

"You see young man, this coastline is very rough. In a big storm you can't see far enough ahead to know where you are going. This lighthouse shows the ships at sea where the land is so they can stay clear." The Light Keeper said.

The young listened intently. Every so often he would nod, or gasp at some of the things the Light Keeper had seen.

"Well I guess you would like to see the rest of the Lighthouse wouldnt you?" the Light Keeper finally asked.

"Yes please." The young man answered excitedly.

"This area here is the living quarters. We eat and sleep here."

The Light Keeper struggled out of the chair he was sitting in and moved to the stairs.

"Come on then, follow me." He said and the young man leapt across the room with enthusiastic strides. The Light Keeper led the way up the stairs.

"There are 210 stairs." He announced as they began to climb.

As they passed each of the 8 floors there was a small window in the side of the lighthouse. As they got to each landing the Light Keeper would stop and check that the window was closed tightly.

As he walked up the stairs the Light Keeper ran his hand along the wall.

Finally they stepped up into the Lantern Room. The morning sun had warmed the tiny room to a toasty temperature. The young man stopped. His mouth open as he looked up and down the rugged coastline. Waves crashing on rocks for as far as the eye could see. For several moments he just stood there staring at the ocean.

"Do you ever get tired of looking at this?" he asked finally.

"Nope." The Light Keeper answered.

Then without turning to the old man asked of his guest.

"Well son you've seen the whole place now. Tell me, what part of the lighthouse do you think is the most important?"

Without hesitation the young man answered. "The light of course."

"The light is very important, but to be a good Light Keeper you must take care of the whole house." The Light Keeper said.

"Is that why you checked the windows as you came up." The young man asked.

"Yes." The Light Keeper answered.

The young man looked down at the floor for just a second and then asked. "Excuse me Sir, but why did you run your hands along the wall all the way up?"

"You saw that did you?" the Light Keeper asked.

"Yes Sir." The young man replied.

"I feel the wall for moisture and cracks or gaps in the wall. In a heavy storm the walls get pounded by huge waves. The lighthouse would be pretty useless if the walls collapse. The brightest light is no good lying on the ground." The young man nodded his agreement.

"Take care of the light. Make sure it is clean and shining brightly, but also guard the walls for when the storms come they will protect the light.

MORAL

The same is true of our own lives. We must guard what is truly important.

So, Shine on and guard the walls!

THE END

TO TRUST AGAIN

RE-ENGAGING IN GOD'S DESTINY FOR YOUR LIFE

SESSION 2  - THE DIAGNOSIS UNIT

 "guard you heart for it is the wellspring of life."

Proverbs 4:23

In this section we will deal with the concepts of what causes damage to the believers heart.

The Types of Casualty

Burnt Out and Discarded

Abused and Mis-used

Assassination & Territorialism

Neglected & Ignored

Friendly Fire

 

Burnt Out and Discarded

Burnout is a specific problem experienced by people who throw everything into what they are doing without taking care of their own well-being.  This comes about sometimes because of our own desires or it can also be because of leaders who have not taken good care of their people.

 Symptoms of this are the following:

·         Lack of enthusiasm

·         Unwillingness to engage in non mandatory events

·         Negative attitude

·         General disinterest

·         Lethargy

There are many others but these are the main ones.  The main thing to remember, when it comes to burnout, is that you must guard yourself. No one knows what you need, in regards to rest and rejuvenation, like you do.  You also know when you are pushing the limits of your abilities or time.

The problems comes in when people who have reached the end of their ability to serve find it difficult to understand why more is required. There is a gap between what they are capable of giving and what is being asked of them.  This tends to bring resentment and a negative attitude towards their leaders for the lack of support and respect they feel. This is when the discarding process takes place.

The main thing to remember is this:

1.      Serve the Lord where he calls you to serves in the manner He tells you to serve.

2.      Your spare time is yours.  You get to decide how you use it. 

3.      Don’t let guilt trips or emotional pleas motivate you to do things you are not supposed to be doing.

4.      Stay within your gifting.  When you agree to do something the person you are serving may well expect you to do as well as they can, even if you have told them you can’t.  By accepting the job, you accept the responsibility to get it done.

5.      You are a slave to Christ, not to man.

You are a child of the most High God remember that.  Which of us would allow someone to treat our children this way?

Abused and Mis-used

Now when we come to the areas of spiritual abuse I am afraid it is not going to be pleasant topic for anyone.  Spiritual abuse is when a leader chooses to ignore his/or her mandate to take care of the flock in favour for the vision they feel the Lord has given them. 

A definition of Spiritual abuse could be phrased as follows:

 

“When those in spiritual authority manipulate, intimidate, and control others out of lust for power, fear of sin or insignificance.”

 

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves

be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Galatians 5:1

 

The context for this verse speaks specifically about some leaders who were requiring specific religious acts to prove their commitment to God.  In this case circumcision. Now in the Post Modern church there are  many misleading doctrines being put forward.  We have once again become enslaved to the next big teaching that comes down to pipe line.

We must guard ourselves towards anything that is contrary to the scriptural instruction given to us by the writers in the new testament.

Mis-use  is where people may be being used outside of the abilities the Lord has given them.  They perhaps have stepped into a position for a season to fill a need but now find themselves locked into a role that does not suit them and they find no joy or fulfilment in it.

Regardless of how good the motivation was at the beginning there will come a time when you will start to resent the fact you are not being used according to your gifting.

Assassination & Territorialism

This is not the physical type of assassination. This speaks directly of the destruction of the character, or standing of a person. It is to our shame as a body that this is happening.  It is specifically when the shepherd turns on one of the sheep and destroys them. The reasons can be varied.

§  Pride (usually motivated by a presumed threat to their own status in the group)

§  Fear of loss of power

§  Sin

§  Personality conflict

 However the outcomes have some alarming similarities. 

§  The person being assassinated is ridiculed or maligned by the leader.

§  False accusations are brought forward and the person who is being accused does not have the opportunity to defend themselves.

§  The accused will usually leave rather than confront.  They do this for several reasons.  Because of their desire not to bring Christ into disrepute they choose not to fight.  Another reason is that that they fear the pain of the process of clearing their name.

 

Neglected & Ignored

In Acts Chapter 6:1 we see the first reference to spiritual neglect.  This is where some parts of the body were not considered in the same way others were.

“In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews^[a] among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. “ Acts 6:1

No matter what situation we may find ourselves in.  As a leader there is no reason to react in ways that we have described above.  Spiritual abuse is present in the body.  We are not meant to be a doormat.  We must serve Christ according to the way his Word says, not man’s interpretation of that word.  This is why Paul instructs us to test everything.

^“19 Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 19 – 22

Friendly Fire

Generally it is the ones closest to us, the ones we have allowed to get close that cause the most harm.  Now this is no reason to withdraw completely from the body.  Like any family our spiritual family has it’s ‘Issues’.  There are some we don’t want to invite to family gatherings specifically because what they might do.

There are some specific reasons though why we are sometimes attacked by our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Tall Poppy Syndrome:

Let’s say you are growing and that you are sharing what God is doing.  Well I am sorry to burst your bubble but not everyone is going to be happy about that.  They are going to try and take you down a notch or too.  Perhaps they think they are being helpful and giving you a dose of reality.  The truth is that we as believers may say we rejoice at others victories and growth, but there are times we resent them as well.

Caught in the Crossfire:

You may get wounded even when you have nothing to do with what is going on.  Perhaps there is a feud or disagreement in the body and you just happened to get caught up in it. No matter what the reason this is something that most people have encountered at some time in their Christian lives.

Witch-hunt's:

There are some people in the body who feel it is their spiritual calling to be the ‘Sherriff’ of the flock.  This maybe because they have been in that church so long they feel a sense of ownership or because they feel they are spiritually superior enough to do the job.  They may not even like the job but they do it anyway.  For these people perfection is not the goal it is the standard. 

Loose lips sink ships (or Churches):   

Gossip is one of those areas that some believers think they have every right to engage in.  They feel it is their responsibility to let people know what they know.  Even if there is little or no truth in what they say.

The old adage “sticks and stone can break my bones but names will never hurt me…” has been used to tell people they are not allowed to feel the pain of unkind words.  They are told by well-meaning friends that they just need to get over it.  Unfortunately these scars are carried for life.  Not on the outside but on the inside. 

 

“the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way..”

Victor Frankl’s – Man’s Search for Meaning

 

"guard you heart for it is the wellspring of life."

Proverbs 4:23

Shalom

David McLachlan

TO TRUST AGAIN

RE-ENGAGING IN GOD'S DESTINY FOR YOUR LIFE

SESSION 1 - THE CASUALTY UNIT

 

 

In April last year I posted that the Lord had laid upon my heart to write a programme to restore those that had been hurt and abused spiritually.  This had been quite a journey.  Firstly facing some of the things that had happened to me as well as those I had been privy to.

Well the programme is complete.  It now stands as a 6 session training session Called 'To Trust Again".  Below is a short excerpt from the first session.

 

"It takes more courage to suffer than to die."

Napoleon Bonaparte

If you were to ask me why we, as Christians we wound each other I could not, with any certainty, tell you why.  All I can say is that we, as a church, have a propensity to wound, maim and destroy the very people we are there to serve.  The only real reason I can come up with is that we have not fully grasped and adopted the teachings of Christ, and I include myself in this.  We take those teachings we like and discard or disregard those that are uncomfortable or too difficult for us.

It is for this reason that we struggle in our relationships with one another.  We seem to forget that our leaders or brothers and sisters in the Lord are just as flawed and fallen as we are.  In our post modern age we have failed to embrace the upward call of God.  (See Philippians 3:14) This calling to be "In the world, but not of the world." (John 17:15 - 17)  A man once told me that living in this world is like having 2 huts surrounded by mud.  You cannot move from one hut (Birth) to the other hut (Death) without getting dirty.  In the same way those around us also live in the same spiritual situation we do.

 

"Since God is good, we must regard Him as the author of all our blessings; our misfortunes we must assign to other causes, but never to God."

Plato

So where does that leave us?  We know what has happened to us and we cannot reconcile the teachings of Christ and the behaviour of some of His followers.

Thomas Chalmers once said,

"Unforgiveness is the poison we drink hoping the other person dies."

So how do we let go of what has happened to us.  Our pain is part of us.  We can no more wish it away than we could erase its memory.  In this case what we focus on is the key to our future spiritual state.

¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness and the gall.
²⁰ I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast within me.
²¹ Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”
    Lamentations 3:19 -33

 

Now there is a difference between acknowledging that something has happened and being fixated on the past.  I have met people, and even found myself, telling everyone what has happened to us.  Either in an attempt to gain sympathy or to validate some level of negative behaviour.  This can tend to have the exact opposite effect.  All too often it pushes people away and isolates us even more.  This only solidifies our internal dialogue.  This internal dialogue is the endless conversation we have with our selves.  "I'm not good enough." "No one understands me." etc.

However just letting go is often not enough.  Sometime we actually have to understand and process what has happened or we fail to remove the venom, or poison, of the incident from our system.  If we do not do this properly it can subconsciously cause us to react negatively to similar circumstances time and again.  Even though we don't mean too we snap and react in an ungodly manner.  Strangely enough this is a form of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

So how do we know what the difference is.

Firstly you need to have a look at the impact it had on you.  The greater the impact the more significant, and likely, the damage may be.  If you were treated badly and you just brushed it off only to snap later on, then it is likely it had more of an effect on you than you originally thought.

So how do we take the sting out of our memories.  God may be able to instantly forget when we ask for forgiveness, but we seem to struggle with this.  To a large extent this has to do with the emotions attached to that memory.  It is also true that negative emotions are harder to let go of than their positive counterparts.

 

"If you're unforgiving, you might pay the price repeatedly by bringing anger and bitterness into every relationship and new experience. Your life might become so wrapped up in the wrong that you can't enjoy the present. You might become depressed or anxious. You might feel that your life lacks meaning or purpose, or that you're at odds with your spiritual beliefs. You might lose valuable and enriching connectedness with others."

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/forgiveness/MH00131  (Courtesy Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota - 14 August 2013)

Although our pain and circumstance do not define us they certainly give us a level of connectedness and compassion for those in a similar situation.  The Lord can use this to reach others.  If we deny what has happened and ignore its effect on us, we add shame to the emotional baggage we are carrying.  As if, for some reason, it is embarrassing and not spoken of in the presence of other more 'spiritual' people. So instead of God's power being made manifest in that situation, to bring healing and strength to our soul, the situation continues to have power over us.

 

Victor Frankl called it in his book 'Man's Search for Meaning'

 

"The mortification of normal reactions."

 

By embracing or owning our pain and turning it over to the Lord we give Him space in our hearts and lives to add His purpose and Spirit.

 

That which brought us low becomes the very vessels God uses to raise us up and strengthen those brethren who, like us, have been discarded, wounded and maimed.

 

 

Shalom

 

David McLachlan

THE FARMER AND THE TRACTOR

There was once a farmer who owned a large plot of land.

Every morning he would get up and look over his land.

Then he would walk out into the field and pick up the plough.

After a deep breath he would begin to drag the plough around the field.

This he did every day, and each night he would stagger into his house exhausted.

One day his neighbour came calling, and saw him at his daily task.

He questioned his fellow farmer as to why he was trying to plough this way.

"It is the only way I know" the farmer replied.

"Surely you haven't been doing this every day?" he asked.

It is the way it has always been done." The farmer added.

The friend was almost beside himself.

With disbelief in his eyes he asked. "Why don't you use a tractor?"

"What is a tractor?" The farmer asked.

"It's a large powerful machine, strong enough for any job" he answered.

"I think I have something like that in the barn." The farmer said.

Together they walked towards the barn.

As the farmer opened the large creaking door his friend gasped.

There stood a huge red tractor.

"It looks like it has never been used?" the friend asked.

"Nope. I don't know how." The farmer replied.

"I've heard stories of people using these things,

and what could be accomplished with one." He said

„But that was a long time ago, and surely we don't need them now."

"There's stuff in the Farmers Almanac about them too,

but I don't understand what it means."

His neighbour stood there staring at this machine.

Finally he turned to his friend and said,

"This machine is for you to use daily. There is no need for

to try and accomplish everything in your own strength."

"Are you sure?" the farmer asked.

"Yes his neighbour said, I have one myself." He replied.

 

"All you have to do is get in and start it up."

"The farmer climbed up and sat in the seat, and turned the key his friend showed him."

With a deep growl the machine roared into life,

And the farmer edged it out of the barn.

For the next couple of days his friend would come over and show him how to use it.

Finally the day came when the friend did not come over, and he had to operate it himself.

Sometimes the farmer would doubt that the tractor was able to do what was needed.

As each new day brought different challenges the farmer began to grow in confidence.

Soon he was using the tractor all over the farm, it's power sufficient for any task..

It is like that with God.

He is with us always.

But for some reason we try to do it on our own.

Using our frail humanness to achieve what He has called us to do.

The fruit we reap is small and the task exhausting.

But when we stand God we have all His power.

He said that he would send his Spirit to us, and we must not leave us.

Only with His Spirit can we truly achieve what He has called us to.

It is sufficient for any task, and always ready.

All we have to do is get in, switch on, and get going.

Now get in!

THE END

THE FAIRGROUND AT COMFORT COVE

An Allegory

By David McLachlan

 

It was almost dark as the lonely figure entered the outskirts of the little coastal town.  He could barely make out the lettering on the welcome sign that greeted the visitors to this quiet village. Welcome to Comfort Cove, the "Friendliest Town in the State!"  Population 789, he read as a car, with its lights on, whooshed by.

The main road into town was not a long one, but it was lit in warm amber lights.  The lovely house set back off the street had lights streaming out of the open windows.  It was a warm mid spring evening and the people were enjoying the weather.  He could hear jolly voices and laughter floating out from the houses as he walked.

As he reached the centre of  town he noticed some flickering lights in a nearby field.  As he got closer he began to hear the familiar sounds of a fairground.  He stood there and watched the scene from the road side.  He had planned to pick up a ride from a passing car or truck on the other side of the town, but the noises and the lights beckoned to him.  He looked off in the direction of the edge of town and then back at the fairground.  It had been quite some time since he had just relaxed and had fun.  Maybe this is just what he needed.

The closer he got the more he could see, and then the smells began to swirl around him.  Fresh popcorn, hotdogs, hot chips, coffee and roasting nuts.  It was mesmerising.  The crowds swarmed around him, but no one seemed to mind being pushed or jostled by the sea of people.  They just smiled and went from one attraction to the other.  Each one holding a morsel of food or a brightly colour stuffed animal.  Some of the children had balloons and candy floss. You could barely hear the drone of the enormous generator powering this frivolity, over the dim coming from each of the stalls.

The Ferris wheel slowly rotated it's gleeful occupants, the bumper cars crashed, and at the middle of it all was the Carousel.   There were many small alley ways leading off the main area. 

Then there were the attendants who called out to the passersby.  Each one trying to lure then in with the promise of great prizes or the prestige of accomplishing impossible feats of strength or skill. All this could be had for the low price of five dollars.  In one alley there were the sellers as well.  On one side there were bags of gifts made up of all things small and plastic right next to stalls that sold every form of sugar known to man.

Across the alley were the purveyors of elixirs and remedies of all the illnesses that plagued the human body.  There was a tablet that could take off those unwanted pounds and right next door a powder that could put them on.  Another had a cream that was "proven" to take years off your appearance.

The man walked on staring in disbelief as person after person believed every word they were told and paid huge amounts of money for what they hoped would solve their problem.  At the end of the alley was an attraction.  The Hall of Mirrors.

"Two dollars" the attendant cried out as he approached.

"I guess this doesn't have the allure of the fast rides and colourful trinkets." The man thought to himself.

He gave the man the two dollars and walked inside.  It was just as he remembered it.  The first mirror distorted his view so much he looked three times as wide as normal.  Walking on to the next one it made him half as wide as normal.  Next the mirror bent outwards in the middle and made him look eight feet tall.  He was shocked by the next.  He had shrunk to about three feet tall and his legs looked like tree stumps.  All the way through there were more mirrors and even more bizarre distortions.  The only one it seemed they didn't have was  a normal mirror that reflected an image of your true self.

As he stepped out he wrapped his coat around himself. The air had grown cool quickly after the sun had gone down.  A small van stood a little distance away.  He walked over to it and bought a cup of coffee and a small bag of hot roasted nuts and sat down on a bench near the middle of the fairground.  From here he could see almost everything that was going on.

Two young people caught his attention.  A young girl and her male companion were walking quickly towards one of the attractions.  She held a large white stuffed tiger under her arm as she half dragged her companion towards the attraction.

"Ring the Bell, win a prize!" the attendant cried out.  The young man pulled some notes from his pocket and handed it to the man. The attendant handed him a large mallet and stood back next to the machine.  It took three tries for the young man to ring the bell.  Each time he paid another five dollars.  When he finally won his prize he handed the dog like stuffed toy to his girl friend who hugged him and squeezed the muscles on his arms approvingly.

As the man sat there for the next 15 minutes he saw many people come and try.  Each one would pay more than once.  Then he noticed that each time the attendant stood in the same position.  Just as the person would swing the mallet he would move his foot on to a small pedal.  The only time the bell would ring is when he chose not to press the pedal.  The man sat on the bench and smiled. He drained the last of his coffee and walked of in the direction of the Carousel.

The attendant stood behind a small booth.  Selling tickets to his ride. The man looked closer at the Carousel. It seemed that not all the parts of the ride were the same.  Not all of the horses jumped.  Some of the carriages were not painted as well as the others.  It was then that he noticed that not everyone who came off the ride was smiling.  Children were crying, disappointed that they had not been able to get on a moving horse.  Others cried because they had gotten splinters from the unpainted wood.  Several fathers tried to speak to the attendant about it.  He would say very little and point to the "No Refunds" painted on the sign above him.

 

You see he did not care whether people enjoyed the ride.  As long as the music played and the lights danced people would want to ride.    If some didn't like it or were hurt, there were plenty more people in the line.  There was always the next town with more people.  Some people would get off and some would get on, and the Carousel would keep spinning and enchanting people to come and ride as the calliope played it's cheerful song.

He walked to the edge of the field and looked back.  The line for the Carousel was still getting longer and the attendants were still yelling out their siren calls to buy, ride, try!  But the fairground would pack up tonight and move on leaving the debris of rubbish and a flood of cheap, sparkly or colourful baubles behind.  Tomorrow would be a new town and more people, and so it goes on.  They cared little for the people who came.  They only cared for the money they bring in. The Carousel would keep spinning and people would still be getting on and off. 

He reached the end of town and stuck his thumb out at the first car that came by.  As he climbed in he took one last glance at the fairground.  It's sounds still drifting on the cool night air. Closing the door the car pulled away leaving Comfort Cove and the Fairground far behind.

 

The end

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