Gratitude and Grace

Gratitude and grace.

Mhairi shot off to Tesco for us again, armed with a list so we can make the menus we chose last night. I noticed the birds nesting in the house outside the kitchen window. Then I noticed the ones in the house beside the garage. Busy. Teamwork, as I wrote last week.

My job is to disinfect and put away once those purchases enter the kitchen. I dunk in soapy water and rinse and dry. I wipe other things with disinfectant wipes. I wipe out the fridge and put in the food for next week.

I hope I don’t miss one or two of those invisible virus bombs. I pray I don’t.

There is so much food, when you buy for a week. We are so blessed, that we can buy for a week. I am full of gratitude for what we don’t deserve. I think of those in other communities, where they, like the Israelites in the desert, can only gather or buy enough for today. Every day they are dependent on their heavenly Father. Give us this day our daily bread.

If I were to be accurate praying the Lord’s prayer, I would need to say Thank you, today, for our weekly bread, and meat, and fruit and veg and chocolate. For our toothpaste and hair clips and peanut butter.

I don’t deserve anything from God, from Jesus – ‘who bled and then he died and then he rose again for me’. Gratitude for his grace. Praying for those whose walk is perhaps more intimate with God as they are more aware of their total dependence on him. May God help me to share, to hear his promptings and to respond in joy and obedience, to live a life of communal care.

May we all shelter in the shadow of those gracious wings, shelter and trust in him.