God is constant
One of my greatest pleasures is an early morning walk on the prom at Southwold, our local seaside resort. Few people are about at this time of day; maybe 3 or 4 elderly locals having an early morning dip, a couple of joggers and a few stalwart walkers, me being one of them. Following last night’s update on the Coronavirus that pleasure has been taken away.
I consider this the highlight of my day for these reasons. The view is stunning, the sun rises and blazes across the waves onto the prom, the water dazzles, sparkles and, at times, blinds you with its glare. I will take a seat on a narrow ledge where the prom ends and the grassy verge up to the road meet. It’s a time to be quiet, to plan, jog my memory and be refreshed. Last week instead of the usual passing the time of day, such as ‘Good morning!’ or a comment about the weather, depending on whether it’s sunny or blowing a gale, an additional phrase has been added, ‘Good morning, are you alright?’ and I considered this someone’s care for a lone walker and I enjoyed answering back with, ‘I’m fine, how are you?’. That comment of ‘Are you alright?’ meant so much to me. It was more than a passing phrase; it was a showing of concern for my wellbeing. It did me good.
On my last time of such enjoyment, I sat on the wall thinking of all the good things that would still go ahead in spite of the forthcoming restrictions on our movements –
Has God lost control, has he forgotten about us, does he not care anymore? We can be taken up by all such questions or we can say that God will never fail us, he hears our petitions and prayers, he knows our fears and our predicaments, and he loves our loved ones as we do. He will never fail us.
I consider this the highlight of my day for these reasons. The view is stunning, the sun rises and blazes across the waves onto the prom, the water dazzles, sparkles and, at times, blinds you with its glare. I will take a seat on a narrow ledge where the prom ends and the grassy verge up to the road meet. It’s a time to be quiet, to plan, jog my memory and be refreshed. Last week instead of the usual passing the time of day, such as ‘Good morning!’ or a comment about the weather, depending on whether it’s sunny or blowing a gale, an additional phrase has been added, ‘Good morning, are you alright?’ and I considered this someone’s care for a lone walker and I enjoyed answering back with, ‘I’m fine, how are you?’. That comment of ‘Are you alright?’ meant so much to me. It was more than a passing phrase; it was a showing of concern for my wellbeing. It did me good.
On my last time of such enjoyment, I sat on the wall thinking of all the good things that would still go ahead in spite of the forthcoming restrictions on our movements –
- The sea will always be there, stormy or calm and invitingly pleasant for those who enjoy a swim. The sea on our coast isn’t much good for sea sport activities, it’s too ‘messy’, as my surfboarding son, who lives in Cornwall, describes it.
- The sky, painted with unbroken hues of blue or dotted with various white cloud formations or obliterated by mists or slowly covered with stormy clouds, will always be there.
- The fields around the market town where I live are in various stages of crop growth and sheep, cows and a vast array of pigs are always there for us to enjoy.
- Gardens and hedgerows are amassed with signs of Spring – wildflowers, spring flowers and new leaves. Bird song can be heard, and it won’t be long before ladybirds, butterflies, bees, slugs and snails, frogs and newts embark upon extending their families.
Has God lost control, has he forgotten about us, does he not care anymore? We can be taken up by all such questions or we can say that God will never fail us, he hears our petitions and prayers, he knows our fears and our predicaments, and he loves our loved ones as we do. He will never fail us.
Merle Sparkes
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