Way-markers of the Soul

It’s been a day of little things that have made me happy. I went up to the Atrium this morning with a few tasks to complete, and was delighted when Smithers said he would accompany me. We stopped en route to deliver a card order for our oldest church friends, who live very close to the church, and then continued over to the Atrium. The minute we walked in we saw a couple of other friends sitting at a table near the door, so I left him sitting chatting to them while I sorted out the card stand. 

I was talking to the ladies who were manning the reception/prayer desk near the stand, and one of them (who I don’t know that well), on discovering that I am happy to make personalised cards, duly placed an order for a 5th wedding anniversary card for her son and daughter-in-law. I then joined Smithers, who was still chatting to our friends, and the time just flew. So much so that he departed to start preparing our lunch, while I sat for a while with a friend who had been bereaved during lockdown, then took a longer detour home to deliver yet another order for an elderly member of the congregation. I’ve enjoyed the company of so many friends today, which has given me such a lift.

This afternoon I’ve been out into the garden and picked this posy, being loudly serenaded the while by all the birds in the surrounding trees. My heart sang with them, and all the spring flowers felt like "way-markers on the route towards Easter". This was mentioned recently by Brian Draper in his current Lent series "The Blazing Trail" and is a quotation from Rev. Colin Heber-Percy, who talks about how we measure and map the world in soulless abstract units. He said how much richer to see the blazing trail in terms of gospel oaks, snowdrops, favourite benches, favourite cafés … way-markers of the soul, so to speak. 

"Dear God, our life is beautiful
In every splendid gift it brings,
But most I thank Thee humbly for
The joy of little things."

Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942)