When I open the curtains in the morning, I am always hoping for some sign that the short days are coming to an end. I am not a fan of the long winter nights, maybe I am just not a fan of darkness?
When I first started work, one of the older guys (probably younger than I am now!) used to say, ‘wait until winter comes, we’re like pit ponies’ I had no idea what he meant, so I had to ask my dad what it meant. Basically, he was saying that during the winter we wouldn’t really see daylight during the week, and boy he was right.
Anyhow, I am waiting for change to come, for the mornings to start to be a bit brighter, the light breaking through, till eventually the sunrise welcomes us to the new day. Then it feels like summer is on the way. Change is coming.
Then, the signs of spring, where the bulbs push through the earth the birds chatter and the year is on the turn. The thing is, there is nothing we can do to hurry things along.
We must be patient, we must watch and wait, there is no short cut, and there may even be a false dawn or two on the way, where the days feel warmer, only to be dashed with further cold weather. But the thing is, we know that spring will come.
I wonder if sometimes we feel that we are living in dark times in the church? There are stories all round our town of churches closing their doors, congregations moving, amalgamating. Some sense the opportunity of this, some are in despair as their church closes. These are the dark nights.
It’s so easy to get caught focussing on the darkness, but let’s be patient, spring will come, new days will come.
The light will break through, and it will be a new day.
Let’s be looking for signs of spring, of hope
Change will come
God bless
Your friend and minister
Alan
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