Minister's Letter

Dear Friends,

"Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18)

Late spring and early summer are probably the most enjoyable times of the year.  Everything looks so fresh and lush and new as the trees gradually turn green again, as the grass and the crops in the fields start to grow and as an abundance of flowers and blossoms once again delight us with their colour and scent.

What a joy it is to once again be able to go outside without having to wrap up first in warm jackets, boots and gloves and hats! The long daylight hours, too, lift our mood and seem to give us that extra boost of energy.

Most of us really do appreciate these first glimpses of the joys of summer and feel inspired to offer praise and thanksgiving to God for the beauty and many wonders of His Creation.

However, very soon the novelty will have started to wear off, and we'll get used again to seeing the green trees and summer flowers, we'll get used to the long daylight hours and the warm sunshine and start to take them for granted; - that is until the first glimpses of autumn once again remind us that it is time to really enjoy and appreciate the last few summer days of the year.

It is so easy to get used to all the good things that life has to offer us and to start taking them for granted.

I am sure many of us probably still remember fondly our first bicycle or car, our first home, our first pay packet (- probably all extremely modest compared to what we can enjoy now!), but at that time it was something very special, something we really appreciated, a new luxury, a great achievement.

Over the years we gradually became used to better transport, more luxurious homes and a higher income, and our expectations have also risen together with our standard of living.  Now we would probably be horrified if our standard of living suddenly reverted to what we then appreciated so much.

When we can no longer afford the standard of living we have become used to, when we lose our home, when we are made redundant or the business takes a downward turn, - that's often when we start to realize just how fortunate we were up to that point.

It is just as easy to get used to the companionship and support of our partners, our families and our friends and start to taking one another for granted.

However, when we lose a parent, a partner or someone else who was dear and close to us, when children one by one start to leave the nest, when old friends move far away - that's when we suddenly begin to realize again what we once enjoyed and yet so often took for granted.

Sometimes we only learn to appreciate just how fortunate we all are when we take a closer look at the living condition of the countless people around the world who can only dream of what we completely take for granted:

- political freedom, freedom of speech, the freedom to meet for worship and to practice our faith openly;
- affordable food, safe drinking water and sanitation;
- comfortable homes, central heating and warm, waterproof clothes
- healthcare, education and public transport;
- state pensions, unemployment benefit and financial support for those who are unable to pay for what we consider to be the necessities of life.

I often wonder how much joy and contentment we all miss out on - just because of our human tendency to get used to all the good things in life so quickly and take them for granted.

Maybe we all would do well to follow every day in our prayers the advise in an old favourite hymn that is rarely ever sung today:

Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Regine