Recently, I attended a 'Patient Participation' meeting at Knutsford Methodist Church, organised by our local Toft Road Surgery. As it was aimed at the 50+, I reluctantly realised that it included me, so I went along. It was very informative and, amongst other things, I learned about various services available to the older generation.

One talk was given by a gentleman from British Telecom. on the different telephones on sale. The talk included tips on the correct use of the 'phone. It was explained that once the handset on cordless 'phones has been removed from the cradle, it shouldn't be replaced until the battery is low on power. Then, and only then, should it be replaced for recharging. To keep recharging on short bursts shortened the life of the battery.

This set me thinking about our relationship with God. I, for one, am not very good at spending long periods in His presence. My mind will keep wandering or I'll find a hundred and one things to do before I take that time out with God. If I'm not careful, I make do with short bursts with Him to get me through the day, week, whatever. I find it difficult to put time aside to be fully recharged.

I'm not saying that, like the cordless 'phone, we should let ourselves get fully worn down before we go for recharging. Being topped up on a regular basis is ok but a time of being fully recharged is so much better. It is difficult to find time to set ourselves apart; life gets more and more hectic, and without thinking we get our priorities wrong.

Just as the 'phone has a wireless connection to BT, or whatever provider you use, we have a wireless connection to God. Often when using the phone it's difficult to hear. Then we realise that there's noise in the background, such as the radio or TV. Once we've switched them off we can hear quite well. You don't have to shout into the mouthpiece to be heard; talking normally is usually sufficient; nor do we have to shout to get God's attention.