When austerity began to hit my local Borough Council, a few years ago, one of the first things to be curtailed was mowing the grass, in the park at the bottom of my garden.
It used to be mown with unfailing regularity all summer. Now they just cut some wide paths through the grass and let the rest grow. The result is a meadow with tall grass and buttercups! Towards the end of summer the grass naturally withers and dies, as do the flowers, leaving a few tufts/clumps of green grass.
I would like to invite you to draw a meadow (no A level art required for this!) with some tufts of grass scattered on it. When you have done so, I would like you to consider ‘What are the ‘tufts’ in your life?’ i.e. the things which remain and are constant in your life (e.g. faith, family, friends etc). When you have written these on your tufts, read the verses from Psalms below and express your gratefulness to God for what he has placed in your life.
Oh, how grateful and thankful I am to the Lord because he is so good. I will sing praise to the name of the Lord who is above all lords. Psalm 7:17 (TLB)
Accept my grateful thanks and teach me your desires. Psalm 119:108
In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul reminds them that they are part of God’s Kingdom because they believe in God. He then encourages them to be humble and grateful. As this series comes to a close let us take his advice.
Watch out! Remember that those branches, the Jews, were broken off because they didn’t believe God, and you are there only because you do. Do not be proud; be humble and grateful—and careful. Romans 11:20 (TLB)