The old fashioned saying from past generations, ‘well I never’ or ‘well I never did’ has always struck me as strange. It seemed a peculiar way of saying, ‘that’s odd’. There are a lot of things ‘I never did’ that are not odd, but perfectly normal for other people. A few evenings ago that changed and, out for a pleasant spring evening walk, I thought ‘well I never did’.
This is the story. A farmer was drilling sugar beet in a field beside the path. I watched for a little while and thought about things I once did, and missed it slightly. The dust was beginning to blow which was also a good sight after a long, wet winter. I carried on and further along my route another farmer was drilling spring barley; more dust and I thought of how at home, spring barley was the last resort after a difficult autumn.
Then, however, on the same evening, I came on a clamp of sugar beet from last year’s crop, awaiting collection for the factory. I checked and found that British Sugar’s Cantley factory was, still open. Sure enough, a week later I saw the lorries coming to cart away that clamp. I thought back to earlier days again and remembered that at home, sugar beet would all be in the factory by Christmas, or very early January at worst. Here we are with overlapping seasons. ‘Well, I never did!’ until now.
Whether the cause of this aberration is climate change or an appallingly wet autumn and winter is important. Important too is adaptability to change the way we live and work.
After the Resurrection the Disciples of Jesus began to live and work differently and their witnessing encouraged others to do likewise; the Church was born. Meanwhile, the old order kept saying ‘I never did’, and adding, ‘I never will, and nor will you’. After two millennia it turns out that the disciples were doing something enduring and, in their wake, many of us have done what the Jewish leaders forbade, and followed the new direction. Adversity stretches us but it can bring about great blessings, even if we could do without another autumn like last year’s.
A Prayer
Lord God, give me the grace to look for opportunities in adversity and not to lose energy in grumbling resistance to inevitability. Lead us all safely through change and chance for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.