Mothers’ Union Devotion Wednesday 21st April 2021

A parishioner rang me up this week to say how profoundly a Snoopy cartoon had moved her and having seen it myself I can understand why. Charlie Brown says to his dog – “We only live once Snoopy”. Snoopy the wisest of companions replies – “Wrong! We only die once. We live everyday!” The change in emphasis about how we live each day seems enormous. ‘We only live once’ is often used to justify an indulgence or guilty pleasure but acknowledging that we live every day changes our mindset to one of gratitude. And we have so much to be grateful about in our daily lives.

Living as we are now in the season of Easter our minds are filled with gratitude. We celebrate with joy the resurrection of our Lord and all that his death accomplished for us. It is a season which brings hope back into our lives. We see many signs of this renewal in the world around us at this time of year. The spring in our gardens, the birth of animals and birds in our countryside, the lighter nights and warmer weather.

This year we have even more to be grateful for than usual. The number of vaccinations increases, the number of deaths and hospital admissions decreases. As lockdown eases and we can travel around the UK, we have been able to see family and friends again. From next week we will even be able to enjoy an outdoor meeting with them in a cafe or restaurant. Little signs of renewal. Signs that make us grateful to be alive. Moments that help us appreciate just how absolutely wonderful this life can be.

Moments that help us see the totally amazing world that God created and how truly blessed we are to live in such an awesome place. There are times when we find ourselves unable to appreciate this beauty. Time of hardship, loss, loneliness and pain where life seems dark and pointless. Then, seemingly out of the blue, we connect with something which helps us appreciate just how much life has to offer and we begin to sense a time of renewal. We realise that life in God’s world is precious and we should give thanks for the privilege of our daily lives. As the psalm set for today says:

¹ Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;

² sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.

³ Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! (Psalm 66. 1-3a)

May you all feel a renewed sense of joy in your daily lives during this season of Easter.

All my love

Revd Sandra