Photo of the toothpaste and tube is up today to tie in with our Thought For Today below

Thought on Monday – July – 15/07/2019

‘We can no more go back to the way we were, than we can put toothpaste back into a tube.’ ~Brendan Hoban

There are many things we will try and get on well. But if we try and put toothpaste back into a tube again, we know it will be a task very much beyond us! This can reflect on other things in life too. When we make a mistake or do something wrong we can often be like the toothpaste. It can’t go back in and we can’t go back on what we have done wrong. The only way forward is to start again, learn from where we went wrong and do our best not to make the same mistake.

The image of the toothpaste and the tube can also refer to what is old and new. Sometimes we’re stuck in the past, stuck to what we know, stuck in what is sometimes old, stale and lacking energy. We’re slow to try something new or do something different. In many of our Gospel stories Jesus gently invites us from the old and stale. We are encouraged to embrace life and do things that bring us energy and inspiration. This will be different for everyone and can be quite different each day. As the month of July swiftly moves along, what gives you energy at this time of year? What do you like doing that helps you unwind? What in your life is stale and negative? Can you do anything today to let go of one thing that’s old, stale or negative? Then in place of that one thing, what can you do to try something that is new, refreshing and energising?