St Johns with St Barnabas

September, still no rain (well, I am writing this mid-August - even so!). Parched and scorched gardens, brown leaves everywhere. Even Mopsy Dog has had enough –  there’s only so much sun- bathing a dog can take! We wander around with the watering can, hoping to rescue a favourite plant here and there, while secretly wondering if we will ever see a proper downpour again.  

Many people are saying that perhaps we need to get used to summers like this. Whether we call it climate change, changing weather patterns, or simply another reminder that our world is changing, one thing is certain: we are all having to learn to adapt. 

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Perhaps this is true in other parts of our life as well.  

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We don’t always choose the changes that come our way. Ageing, illness, retirement, new beginnings, unexpected endings – life asks us to adapt time and time again. It isn’t always easy. 

Yet nature has something to teach us.  A tree doesn’t argue with the seasons, it responds to them, it sinks its roots deeper, lets go of old leaves when the time comes, and trusts that Spring will return.  

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Faith can be a little like that. It doesn’t pretend life never changes. Instead it helps us put our roots down into something deeper than the circumstances around us.  The Bible speaks of those ‘whose roots go down to the water’; even in dry seasons, there is a quiet source of strength.  

So here’s hoping that by the time you read this Mopsy Dog has found a cool patch of grass, the gardens have enjoyed a good soaking, and each of us has found the courage to embrace whatever this new season brings.