Pooh Sticks and Saving Panda!

I love being with my family and recently it was a joy for Ruth and me to
meet up with our son, John, his wife Catherine and their children, Ava (aged 3 and a bit) and Finn, who is just 10 weeks old. We met at Mottisfont, a wonderful National Trust place just south of Stockbridge. 

As we showed our National Trust passes at the entrance, we had no idea of the drama that was soon to emerge. Walking along it was lovely to witness Ava grasping her little toy Panda that Ruth's mum had given her. Ava adores this little toy which has added significance given that Ruth was also given a similar toy panda when she was a baby.

A little way in we encountered a small bridge over a river running at quite a pace beneath us. This was a perfect opportunity for each of us to participate in that great game entitled 'Pooh Sticks'! Basically, this meant each of us finding a small twig which we then simultaneously dropped into the river on one side of the bridge before racing over to the other side of the bridge to see who's 'Pooh Stick' would emerge in first place!

Such was the interest in our game of 'Pooh Sticks' that several other people had stopped to witness this fun tradition unfold. As we dropped our 'Pooh Sticks' into the water and raced to the other side of the bridge there was a good twenty people watching on in anticipation. And then it happened... at the point we reached the other side of the bridge to peer over and see which 'Pooh Stick' was in pole position little Ava's excitement exploded and thinking she was still holding her 'Pooh Stick' she threw her very precious Toy Panda into the raging torrent below! 

There was an audible gasp from the watching crowd followed by a momentary silence before the loudest wail you can imagine burst out of Ava's mouth! Oh no!

The crowd dispersed with sympathetic expressions across their faces, while we were left with a heartbroken little girl watching her beloved Panda swirling around on the surface of the water whilst quickly being dragged to a gushing gully where it disappeared from view gone forever! Or so we thought!

In the meantime, Super Dad John was racing out of Mottisfont, leaving through the car park and seeking to find his way back to the river where he amazingly spotted the Panda that had somehow resurfaced downstream. Armed with an old branch found nearby he successfully reached out and Panda was saved! 

It was quite a moment as the rest of us looked up and saw John's hand suddenly appear over the top of the perimeter fence grasping the saved Panda. In an instance Ava's sobbing heart was transformed as her tears turned to giggles of joy. 

We went on to have the most wonderful day together and now have a precious tale that we can reminisce and ponder for many years to come. John has even suggested he might use it in his father of the bride speech when Ava gets married!  

Anyway, come what may we can now always say… Panda was saved by John! Panda could do nothing to save himself as he was completely reliant on John running after him and pulling him out of the icy water. It was an act that turned sadness into joy and created a memory that will probably last a lifetime.

On a much bigger scale we also need to be saved. Like Panda there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. We are saved by grace, and by grace alone. Grace is God’s undeserved favour and we can do nothing to earn it. Our redemption is a gift from God. Our salvation is not because of anything we have done or are even capable of doing. It is solely a matter of God's grace. All we have to do is receive this gift by placing our trust in Jesus, believing that He died on the cross for our sins.

As we celebrate Christmas this year and share gifts with each other perhaps take a moment to ponder the greatest gift of all. Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour! But to truly accept this gift please remember to unwrap it!