Thoughts for the Day

Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion;

You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Everything in the new garden is taller than me. I have just discovered a large white table and four chairs under swathes of brambles, spurges, and self-seeded bushes. I trip over, only to discover there are stone curbs around beds, and there seems to be crazy paving everywhere. There is no lawn, just wide swathes of plants. Everywhere flowers hang half-dead from their raised beds onto the plants in front. As I hack my way through the vegetation, I discover boulders which would have given the garden shape, but now lie under brambles. Where do I start? Is there a holder for the rotary washing line anywhere? Is there a tap somewhere? Oh and then I find a pond....!!!!

You can probably see I wasn't really in the mood for joyful celebration of God's bounty a few days ago, although that was really about the lack of human care for the garden! However, today let us celebrate Harvest and thank God for all that He gives to us, and for the hard work of so many who bring food to our table. We thank those who:

• farm and cultivate land;
• care for animals;
• look after forests;
• fish the seas;
• deliver food across sea and land;
• work in shops.

It's also a time to pray for all in need, and to give thanks for those who give so generously to aid them.

Heavenly Father,
we thank You for all that You give to us;
on land, in the sky, and at sea;
and for those who provide us with our food.
Help us to be better stewards of Your bounty,
and to share with those in need
throughout the year
not just at Harvest time.
Amen.