“When the early sun first shone upon sea and land…”
This line is the beginning of a lengthy poem that my Grandma taught me as a child. Some years later the same poem was recited by Grandma at my marriage ceremony and many more years later, I reciprocated at her funeral.
It was through Grandma’s influence upon me as a child that I learned to love the written word in the form of poetry, stories, song lyrics and later discovering new depths of insight from Scripture.
As a Christian, I recognise the full narrative of the poem as containing Scriptural insights of creation, prayer and relationship with God the Father. However, as a child from a non-Christian household, it held a mysterious quality to me of an unknown higher being, who could make ‘all things new’, which was intriguing to a spiritual, open-hearted young girl, seeking an unknown ‘something’ in life to fill an unexplainable void.
Jesus shared and influenced others with his storytelling or parables. He used everyday life and familiar surroundings within his parables, that held a spiritual meaning and often a twist to conclude.
As we skip ahead to a new season of Spring, we see the narrative play out of new beginnings and new life, from the display of early bulbs, tree blossom squeezing out of tight buds, new lambs and the personal hope of warm sun to replace the harsh winter cold.
This narrative could have been part of a parable that Jesus told, illustrating what is seen and heard and weaving the promise of restoration, forgiveness and freedom as a conclusion.
Is there a story that you could share, write, create, sing, to encourage, inspire, or influence someone else? Maybe you are the one who needs someone to encourage you?
Let us be bold in our life stories and reveal our vulnerability for the benefit of others.
” His promise stands as its always stood, ‘Behold, I make all things new’!”