Life has felt dark lately
and, at times,
there has been a strong sense
of doom and gloom.

But this morning
sunshine greets me
when I awake
lighting-up the room
and lifting my spirits.

And, little by little,
news stories
are filtering through
giving a real sense
of hope.

Thank you, Lord,
for these precious
glimmers of hope
that gladden my heart
on this sunny Spring morning.

© Claire Murray, 13th March 2021

It’s mid-January
and it’s bucketing.
Paul and I are out
in the garden
pruning the apple tree.

Wearing a helmet
(just in case!)
I hold the ladder steady
while Paul lops branches
overhead.

Glancing up
I see Paul at work
and I blink against the rain.
Raindrops trickle
down my sleeve
(yuk!)
and in through the slats
of my helmet.
My coat is dripping wet
but I’m smiling!

Whoever could have pictured this
when, as a young couple,
we made our vows
one sunny St Columba’s day?
That one day,
thirty years later,
we’d be retired
and working together as a wee team,
pruning trees
in the garden …
in the rain?

And as the rain blows
into my eyes
I say a quick prayer of thanksgiving
for thirty years spent
with the man I love.

© Claire Murray, 14th January 2021

Our front room is filled
by the usual mixture
of light and shadows
cast by lamps
on this dark winter’s afternoon.
While I’m standing
with my back to the window
a large shadow on the opposite wall
catches my eye.
From where I’m standing
I can see clearly
what is casting this shadow –
the chandelier that hangs
from centre of the ceiling!

I’m amazed.
I’ve spent so much time
in this room
and while I have always
had an awareness
of the light and shade here
I have never before
noticed a pattern
that is oh, so clear to me now!

How could I have missed it?

Life presents all of us
with many challenges
and while we’re in the thick
of these difficulties
we can see only darkness.
And yet when I look back
in later years
I can see that the hand of God
has been there,
with me at all times –
guiding me,
supporting me,
carrying me,
helping me to grow.

Lord,
when dark times come
help me to remember
that there is a bigger picture
that makes sense of my crisis
even if I can’t see it
and help me
to place my trust in you.

© Claire Murray, 21st January 2021

Spring is in the air
as I head out
on my daily walks
during the first week of March.

A bright red ladybird
nestling among
green, shiny ivy.

A buzzing bumble bee
who drifts from blossom to blossom
around our garden.

A wee, furry caterpillar,
hay-brown,
who wriggles across a path
near a busy motorway.

A magpie busily constructing
an untidy nest
in a birch tree
near Musgrave Park.

A whole weekend
of clear blue skies
and one precious afternoon
when it’s actually warm enough
to go for a walk
without a coat
(I feel like I’m on holiday!)

Spring is in the air
and there is definitely light
at the end of the dark tunnel
of a difficult and challenging winter.

Thank you, Lord!

© Claire Murray, 3rd March 2021