麻豆约拍

A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Archdeacon of Bangor, Mary Stallard.

Good morning.
As we approach the end of January it still feels that we鈥檙e deep in winter, and in the continuing pandemic the intensity of this apparently fallow season seems even greater. In such times even small glimmers of an approaching spring can feel welcome.

I caught a glimpse of this recently when I received a free loyalty reward from a supermarket, of a bunch of daffodils. It felt like quite a measly gift when I collected them: a handful of unpromising green stalks with brownish, rather shrivelled tips. My expectations were definitely limited when I eventually put them in water.

Over the first 24 hours absolutely nothing seemed to happen to them, but the following evening I noticed a flash of yellow had appeared at the tips of one or two stalks which, over the next day, gradually grew and blossomed into a blaze of colour: the whole jar was transformed into something quite special.

It seems to me that I鈥檝e much to learn from plants. Where I sometimes set my hopes much too low they show something very different. Another plant, an amaryllis bulb, I received for Christmas seems to be growing at an astonishing rate, so fast that I almost feel I ought to be able actually to see it moving. This kind of growth offers an inspiring image of how change and new life can appear even in the coldest seasons.

God of creation, thank you for the gift of life even in the midst of winter. Help us to notice and treasure today signs of all that鈥檚 growing. Where we feel weary or low, bless us with courage and open our eyes to notice signs of beauty and hope. Amen.