Monthly Archives: June 2013

Glimpse of Heaven

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Today was a jewel of a day,
a beautiful, sunny, June day
in Belfast.

A day to slow down,
to go to work
by the scenic route,
along the Tow Path.

A day to feel a warm breeze
and the gentle heat of the morning sun
on my face.

A day to take time
to sit on a bench by the Lagan.
and to relax and listen
to a symphony of bird song.

A day of leaf-filtered sunlight
and of calm, shimmering waters.
A day that was an oasis of peace
in a hectic life.

A day to sit in the sun,
to all appearances on my own
but in reality
in the company of My God.

A day to be still,
basking in the presence of My God,
and surrounded by the beauty
of His creation.

A day to feel
that My God had given me the gift
of a tiny glimpse of Heaven.

© Claire Murray

Why is Grass Green?

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This morning I feel puzzled.
Why am I the person that I am?
Why did My God create me
flawed?

An image flashes into my mind
of bluebells growing in the shade
and of tender, green grass
lit up brightly in the summer sun
at Moydamlaght.

My God speaks:
“Claire,
what do you think of my grass?”
“It’s beautiful”, I reply.
“I love its brightness
when the sun shines through it.
I love to see it dance in the breeze.
It looks young, tender and lush.
I love its greenness.”

My God asks,
“Will I tell you why my grass is so green?”
I nod.

My God explains,
“My grass is green
because I designed it that way.
Every single blade of grass
may not be perfect
but it is my work of art
and it is beautiful
and it is wonderful.”

My God continues,
“And you are another one of my works of art,
created by me,
exactly the way you are
on purpose.
Don’t waste time wondering why:
just trust me;
I’m a master craftsman!”

© Claire Murray

Silver Lining

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Last night
I worked long and hard
and it was the wee, small hours
before I was ready to go to bed.
I felt drained.

As I passed the bedroom window
I juked out.
A deserted street,
houses in darkness.
Definitely time for bed!

Just then,
a fox appeared,
trotting steadily down the street.
In just a few seconds
he had gone.

My heart leapt.
A fox!
Neighbours used to tell us about a fox
who visited our estate daily in Dundrod
many years ago.
In ten years, we had never seen the fox ourselves
and we had long since given up
looking out for him.

When I spotted the fox
my tiredness vanished.
I grinned
and I was reminded
that every cloud has a silver lining
and that in all of life’s difficulties
we experience gifts from Our God
in the love of our friends and family,
in random acts of kindness from strangers,
in the beauty of Our God’s creation
and sometimes even
in the unexpected sighting of a fox
trotting quietly along a street
in Dundrod
in the wee, small hours.

© Claire Murray

I Am Who I Am

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Lord,
when Moses asked you who you are,
your answer was,
“I am who I am.”

This evening
I feel acutely conscious
of the many quirks
in my personality,
the multitude of faults and failings
that go towards making up
who I am.

This evening
I feel called to love myself
just the way I am,
to view my shortcomings
differently,
to see them
as part of your plan for me.

This evening
I am reminded
that inside me
is a tiny spark of you, My God,
a tiny spark of
“I Am Who I Am”.

I am not defined
by my shortcomings,
by my strengths,
by my gifts
or by any label.

This evening,
you gently tell me
that I, too, can say,
“I am who I am.”

© Claire Murray