[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 23/Aug/2020]
I always approach my ‘Yours’ items with a sense of anxiety; what am I going to say? Then I peacefully calm my mind and ask for the word, scripture, topic, whatever is to come. So as you can see, today is the simple things, what of them?
Like many I’m sure there are many items that jump out at you and strike your consciousness, be it headlines or daily quotes, Facebook, text encouragements, scriptures or articles. Some of these can be uplifting, thought provoking, or simply amusing. Yet, it stuck me that it is often those simple little things that touch us. The kindness or thoughtfulness of another soul. A smile or gesture. A card out of the blue, just to say hello. However, what hit me more today, were the simple everyday things that God has created in this world for our pleasure and the simple things we can do to please Him.
I’ve wistfully considered the ‘what ifs’: home, travel, work, money friends and family, yet in the reality of the small simple things I often find the most pleasure, these are what I call God’s everyday gifts. The small things that we can take for granted in our busy, complicated, materialistic lives today. I especially look to nature, flowers, birds, weather!
To be mindful and present in the moment, appreciate the air we breathe, the senses we have been gifted. Take a moment; what do you hear, smell, see, feel and taste? These senses help us understand and perceive the world around us. The silent skies and empty roads, less pollution, smells and sounds; nature reclaimed areas now quieted. I think of those gifts around us. Have we forgotten the simple things from which we can see the Creator’s hand, the things we easily overlook? I give thanks for the slowing down of the days and endless rushing around. Give thanks for the gifts we so readily take for granted. We are so adaptive that we can so easily forget.
How things change so quickly, I recall how strange it was to look and see planes overhead again, how the noise punctured the silence we had become accustomed to. Before we step out to face the next phase that Covid casts our way, what simple things have impacted you? Are they worth recording or sharing or caring about? If so, “give thanks, for this is the day the Lord has made“. (Psalm 118:24). Despite our hardships, there are always some simple things to be thankful for, if we have the mind to consider it. Pray with a thankful heart and joyful mind, no matter the simplicity amongst the grandeur of creation, God wants to hear from us, from you.
In this period of our human history, despite all the negatives, I urge you to consider the abundance of creation and all its wonders. How often do you sit and be thankful for those gifts we have and to fully appreciate each of them?
May God bless you and give you peace and a thankful heart in these uncertain times.
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Contributed by Nancy Aldred; © the Author
