This morning, before taking my daughter to her football match, I grabbed myself some toast and decided to have some jam on it. I knew the old jar of blackcurrant jam had been finished, but found, to my horror, that my wife had bought a jar of blackcurrant jam “with no bits”! Deciding to give it a try, I spread it on my toast and took a bite. It really did nothing for me. There was something missing. The taste was “sort of blackcurrant” but it wasn’t right. By leaving out the bits of the fruit, the gorgeous sharp tang of the blackcurrant was also missing. They’d left out the key ingredient and it showed – or should that be tasted.

As I thought about my culinary experience, and of that missing key ingredient, it brought two thoughts into my mind:

1. All of our charities, churches etc. are set up around a mission, belief, faith, passion etc. Something drove those that founded and set up our organisation and it gives us our identity, values and aims. As time goes on, we try new things and new ways of pushing our cause. We can be enticed by offers of collaborating with others and partnerships with similar groups – and they can be really good things.

But in all of this, it is easy to be distracted from what is at our core, the reason that our organisation was set up. Don’t miss what is central to you. Don’t leave behind that thing that makes your group unique. Don’t miss your key ingredient.

 2. The other thought I had was of life. Each one of us has only one life to live, and we choose what we do with it. We search for meaning and purpose – some look for fame, some for wealth, some for recognition, we all look for love. We all want to achieve something with our lives. Sadly, many of us miss the key ingredient in life – the Almighty God, our Creator. He loves you and wants you to love Him.

Whatever you do, in your organisations and in your individual lives, please make sure of one thing. Don’t miss the key ingredient. Oh, and don’t buy Blackcurrant jam with no bits in either!!