Gleanings from a Glens Girl: There must be a pony in here

Gleanings from a Glens Girl: There must be a pony in here: Two boys were waiting for their birthdays to come. One was a pessimist and the other an optimist. The first boy was a greedy boy a...

There must be a pony in here

Two boys were waiting for their birthdays to come. One was a pessimist and the other an optimist. The first boy was a greedy boy and wanted so many things but most especially he expected to get a drum.  When his birthday came he walked into his room and opened present after wonderful present. But, when no drum appeared, he sat down and wailed.

The second boy had no expectations of what he wanted for his birthday.  He would be happy with whatever came his way.  When the day came, he went into his room and all he found was a pile of manure.  He gleefully ran out to the shed, got a spade and started digging into the manure.  When asked what he thought he was doing, he replied

“with all this manure around, there must be a pony in here somewhere!”

One boy was the eternal pessimist and the other the eternal optimist! Having a positive attitude can stand us in good stead.  None more so than when we are living with so many restrictions in our lives.

It can be so easy to dwell on the negative – on what is wrong with the world. But, our faith is one of positivism.

Of the belief that God’s kingdom is possible here and now. That good can come out of bad. That the broken can be mended. That the lost can be found. That the light can shine through darkness. That sunshine can follow rain.

When we feel the pull of pessimism dragging us down may we remember the wee boy with the spade and keep looking for the positives in our situation.

Gleanings from a Glens Girl: Close to God in a garden

Gleanings from a Glens Girl: Close to God in a garden: The garden centres have reopened. I know for many folks this news will have been greeted with a great sigh of relief. I went alon...

Close to God in a garden

The garden centres have reopened. I know for many folks this news will have been greeted with a great sigh of relief. I went along to my local garden centre and noticed people happily browsing along the rows of bedding plants, perennials, and annuals. 

Others were examining the fruit trees, ferns and shrubs. A number were piling their trolleys with large bags of compost and tomato plants. All were following the one-way system in our new mode of shopping.

The delight was palpable on their faces as they chose the items that were to be taken home to enhance their gardens. I modestly purchased a new fork, trowel and gloves with the aim to take up gardening as a new hobby. I do have a lone Hosta waiting to be planted but the ground will need some severe weeding first!

Of course, in among the plants were pots, water features, gnomes, and the like, I spotted a sign that you could purchase for your garden. It read:-

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,–
One is nearer God’s heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.

When I got home I looked it up and found it was part of a poem by poet and hymn-writer Dorothy Frances Gurney.

The Lord God planted a garden
In the first white days of the world,
And He set there an angel warden
In a garment of light enfurled.

So near to the peace of Heaven,
That the hawk might nest with the wren,
For there in the cool of the even
God walked with the first of men.

And I dream that these garden-closes

With their shade and their sun-flecked sod
And their lilies and bowers of roses,
Were laid by the hand of God.

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,–
One is nearer God’s heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.

For He broke it for us in a garden
Under the olive-trees
Where the angel of strength was the warden
And the soul of the world found ease.

During the lockdown people’s gardens have literally been a Godsend to them. A place to spend time, to create and to be close to God. Amen

  

Gleanings from a Glens Girl: Fairy cakes and juice

Gleanings from a Glens Girl: Fairy cakes and juice: Julie Manhan tells the story of a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed hi...

Fairy cakes and juice

Julie Manhan tells the story of a little boy who wanted to meet God.

He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with fairy cakes and Juice and started on his journey.

He’d not gone very far when he saw an elderly woman. She was sitting on a park bench watching the pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink of juice when he noticed the lady looked hungry so he offered her a fairy cake. She gratefully accepted and smiled at him.

Her smile was so wonderful that he wanted to see it again, so he offered her a juice as well. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling without saying a word.

As it began to grow dark, the boy realized how tired he was and wanted to go home. He got up to leave but before he had gone no more than a few steps, he turned around and ran back to the old woman, giving her a big hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy arrived home his Mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked, "What has made you so happy today?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." Before his mother could respond he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile in the whole world!"

The old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face. He asked, "Mother, what has made you so happy today?" She replied, "I ate fairy cakes in the park with God." And before her son could reply, she added, "You know, he is much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring; all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

Both the young boy and the older woman found joy in that encounter.

What could be considered to be an ordinary, simple, everyday encounter.

But they found joy in it.

And they found joy in it because they found God in it!

Last week we had a couple of days of stormy weather to contend with. Those of us whose hair is growing rapidly out of shape and is now too long hard to face even worse bad hair days with the strong gusts of wind. It was time to batten down the hatches and hope that not too much damage was done. One morning after a particularly windy night we got up to discover a large branch had broken off in one of our trees in the garden. A rose bush met a similar fate. To say nothing of a lot of petals from flowers covering the ground.

The storm and its aftermath made me think our unique 2020 Covid-19 storm. It has been raging for the whole of this year in some part of the world. It has done untold damage in its wake. Our hearts go out to all who have lost loved ones and dear friends. We feel for all who have been battling the virus and the toil that it has taken. It has raged against industries, economies and employment.

We are still in the middle of the storm at the moment. We do not yet know what life will be like when we come through this particular storm. That uncertainty can be like a storm within us as well. We can only hope that the damage will be as little as possible and that we will be able to pick up our lives and go on as best we can.

Jesus was a pillar of strength when the disciples faced a storm at sea. He was the one who got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

He is still our pillar of strength. He can say to the storms of uncertainty that rage within us,

 “Quiet! Be still!”

A time to wait

Gordon and I have been going out for a walk every couple of days. We are fortunate to live in Angus as you are never too far from countryside or seaside. We have enjoyed exploring local nature walks and looking at the trees coming into bud and the wildflowers. In particular, the bright yellow of the gorse and broom bushes are quite spectacular.

Seeing them always remind me of Betsy Whyte’s book, ‘Yellow on the Broom’. Betsy was born into a traveller family in 1919 and brought up in the age-old tradition of the ‘mist people’–constantly moving around the country and settling down in one place only during the winter. As a sign that it was time to start traveling again they would wait for the yellow to appear on the broom.

Adam MacNaughtan, the Glasgow songwriter, read the book and then composed a song about it.

I'm weary for the springtime when we tak the road aince mair Tae the plantin and the pearlin and the berry fields o Blair We'll meet up wi oor kin folk frae a' the country roond 

When the gang-aboot folk tak the road and yellow's on the broom.

Betsy and her folk lived their lives appreciating that there was a right time, for them, to do things. A time to stay in one place and a time to move on.

Those words echo the ones found in Ecclesiastes – ‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.’

It is our time just now, during the pandemic, to wait. To wait in our homes. To wait on the pavement and shop to let people walk past us at a safe distance. To wait for the news of when things will be changing.

We know that we do not wait alone. God waits with us. This is a time for waiting. And one day, there will be a time for us to move on. 

Giving thanks for the carers

The 12^th May each year is the International Nurses Day. The date chosen as it was the birthday of the founder of modern-day nursing – Florence Nightingale. This year celebrated the 200^th anniversary of her birth. An anniversary that seems rather poignant to remember at this time when we are all coping with life with the corona virus.

I wonder what she would make of it all?

I think she would tip her cap in admiration at all the medical staff and carers, up and down the length of the land who have gone over and beyond the call of duty. We too tip our caps each Thursday at 8pm as we clap in thanks for our carers.

It was a call from God that encouraged Florence herself to embark on her journey into nursing – against family approval. She felt that genuine religion should manifest in active care and love for others. This she displayed in abundance.

She was a strong force of reform in the care of soldiers fighting in the Crimea.

Stephen Paget asserts that Florence reduced the death rate of soldiers from 42% to 2%, partially by implementing hand-washing and other hygiene practices in the war hospital in which she worked. Florence would be first in line today to encourage us to continue with our hand-washing routines. 

She was also known as the Lady with the Lamp. This title stemmed from an article in ‘The Times’ which read:-

She is a "ministering angel" without any exaggeration in these hospitals, and as her slender form glides quietly along each corridor, every poor fellow's face softens with gratitude at the sight of her. When all the medical officers have retired for the night  and silence and darkness have settled down upon those miles of prostrate sick, she may be observed alone, with a little lamp in her hand, making her solitary rounds.

Today there are many such men and women of the lamp walking the corridors of our hospitals and care homes. May we give thanks to God daily for their care, devotion, and sacrifice.

Longing for freedom

As I was sitting in my study the other day some movement out of my window caught my eye. The most amazing sight of five geese flying across my garden! They were so low that I felt that I could almost reach out and touch them. As I was gathering my breath at this encounter with nature, they flew back across again. Just wonderful. 

They brought to mind the lines from Violet Jacobs' poem ‘The Wild Geese’. 

‘And far abune the Angus straths I saw the wild geese flee,
A lang, lang skein o’ beatin’ wings, wi’ their heids towards the sea,’

It is a poem about longing for home. So many of us can identify with such longing just now. Longing for life to return to the way it used to be. Longing to be able to earn a living again. Longing to do the simple things in life that we used to take for granted – visiting the library, coffee with friends, wandering around the shops. Longing to be reunited with loved ones.

We are called to be patient in these times of longing. Patience is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and we can tap into that through our faith. Through our belief that God is with us in our longing and can give us the patience to keep going, no matter how tough it can be, until the day when we again have the freedom of the geese to go wherever we want.

Prayer for a Pandemic

Prayer by Cameron Bellm

http://krugthethinker.com/?

fbclid=IwAR3Q_41saAI1t8Ii_lu6Qh4Z3Nt5br13mpYoyMl7sOYIT6GfqkqPHldrJ6M 

Gleanings from a Glens Girl: New Year reflection

Gleanings from a Glens Girl: New Year reflection

Gleanings from a Glens Girl: New Year Blessing

Gleanings from a Glens Girl: New Year Blessing

New Year Blessing

New Year reflection

Broken crayons still colour

Second on the right....

J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan, was born here in Kirriemuir. The wee red toun of Kirrie is full of reminders of the boy who never grew up. I came across this bench up at the Neverland Play Park. It reads, 'Second to the right' said Peter 'and then straight on till morning'. These are the directions that Peter gives to Wendy for Neverland. 

We may all need help with direction in our lives at different times.   Often talking to wise friends, praying or reflecting on God's word can give us the clarity we need to move forward. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you".

How you make people feel....

Path of Renewal: Changing the Narrative

Path of Renewal: Changing the Narrative: Matthew 11:7-9 Jesus Praises John the Baptist As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into th...

Come sit with me

These seats are in the front area of my old primary school in Stonehaven - Arduthie Primary. They weren't there when I attended the school some 40+ years ago. I came across them on a recent visit to the town and was intrigued by them. It got me thinking. Who would I like to sit with me on these seats if I could choose anyone. My immediate thoughts went to love ones no longer with me - family and friends. Then I thought of famous people who I could chat with and learn from. Perhaps one or two of my favourite movie stars or musicians could join me. Oh and of course, some of my favourite authors too.

These thoughts reminded me of a reflective meditation that I undertook during my ministry training. We were invited to imagine that we were sitting at a table with Jesus and could choose where we sat in relation to him. It is an interesting exercise. Would you sit right next to him so that you could whisper in his ear and share your innermost thoughts and feelings? Would you sit opposite him and gaze on in wonder - God among us? Would you sit as far away as you could  - in awe and humility? Would you have him at the top of the table teaching you? Would you have him surrounded by children to watch how he interacted with them and them with him? Would you choose to simply sit at his feet?

Whoever you choose to sit with you, may you enjoy their company this evening..