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Dear Friends,
Sea, Sand and Sun!
These are often the things we think of during the Summer, especially when we get the opportunity to have a break and do something different.
The summer is a time when schools break up and many families take their annual holidays either in this country or abroad.
Many people enjoy the sea, but of course we are all very aware of its power.
In the Tsunami we saw the devastation it caused and yet when it is calm it looks so beautiful and inviting.
When things seem difficult for us we might get the advice, ‘don’t worry – worse things happen at sea !!’
And looking at it on a bad and stormy day we can be thankful that we don’t have to be out in it.
The sea is also a reminder of that wonderful almighty power of God.
Imagine for a moment that you are building a sand castle.
You have built this wonderful elaborate castle with turrets and walls and a drawbridge.
You are putting on the final touches when suddenly a child comes along and jumps into the middle of it and ruins it.
The child runs away and you are left to salvage what you can.
Instead of crying , you carefully try to rebuild and restore what you have so carefully and lovingly made.
In life we are like this with many things.
We build up our possessions and put fortifications around them.
They seem impressive to other people.
We get hurt and upset but sometimes we have to pick up the pieces and make the most of things.
When the tide comes sweeping in we learn all over again that we bring nothing into this world and we can take nothing with us when we go – not even a grain of sand.
‘Summer suns are glowing, over land and sea!!’
How we sing these words with gusto but sometimes how disappointed we are with the weather.
When we want a hot and sunny day for some very special occasion we get rain or wind and sometimes our event is spoiled because of the weather.
But there is something about the sun that brightens our spirits and keeps us cheerful.
It is also a reminder that God loves us and we need the sunshine and the rain to stay alive.
In the Shetland Islands when the sun shines and people are at work they have what they call a ‘borrowing day’.
They get so few days of sunshine per year that when the sun comes out, they make the most of it and take the day off work and pay it back in the winter months. It sounds good to me.
Enjoy the Summer.
Let it be a constant reminder of everything that God gives to us and return refreshed and renewed, more able to serve our Lord and Master.
Every blessing,
Rev. Diane Hicks
Letter from our Minister
Rev. Diane Hicks