SATURDAY 9th MAY

SATURDAY 9th MAY 2020

Good morning friends,

I left you yesterday hoping that you would be able to find lovely things to think on. I wonder if you did?

I had a wee moment during my evening walk along the Clyde.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that two beautiful swans had come to stay on the river. I’ve been living down here for 7 years now and it’s the first time I have noticed swans on the river.

So, every day now I look out for them, and stop to gaze on the peaceful scene for a wee while.

Yesterday evening though, as I approached them, I could hear a lot of noise, a voice shrieking and shouting.

I soon found out who was making the noise.............it was a little boy of around two years, jumping up and down and pointing to the swans, “look, look,!!” he cried. “beauties, beauties!!”

I stopped beside him and he smiled up at me and said, “see, see, see!!” “birdies, birdies” His dad said to me, “sorry ‘about this” I said, “please don’t apologise, he’s just brilliant”

Anybody who has ever spent time with a little child cannot fail to be touched by the experience. There is something about the very young.....their honesty, their openness, their innocence, their simple trust, their unquenchable zest for life..........which has the power to soften even the hardest of hearts. Sadly, as time passes much of all that can be lost.

Children grow to be adults and have to become worldly wise, learn to conform to what is expected of them, trust gets broken, and emotions start to be hidden. And something of that exuberance for life gets lost long the way.

And yet, I believe deep within each one of us there is still that longing to become as a little child again that, if we let it, can burst forth and surprise us with great joy.

We know from scripture that Jesus had a great fondness for children, we read in Mark’s gospel these words. “ One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.

I read these words the other day written by Nick Fawcett words from God the Father to us.

My child, it is special isn’t it , the innocence of a little one?

A treasure beyond price, the most precious of gifts.

And it is sad that so much is lost as the years go by, battered and bruised by the daily round of life.

But must it all be lost? I don’t think so.

Tempered perhaps, refined through experience, yet not destroyed.

You still need the ability, whatever your age, to look through a child’s eyes...

To gaze with wonder, and hunger for knowledge, to laugh with abandonment, and dance with delight.

To speak with candour, and act without reserve, to respond with love, and reach out in trust.

Lose that............let go of the little one inside you. and you lose so much of what I have for you.

For it is those who are like children who will see my face, those who will not only inherit the

kingdom of heaven, but are in it already.