Sunshine beamed through the windows of the Village Hall, although it was cold outside, and memories of the harsh winter were dimmed. Under the title Spring has Sprung! and only a week before Mother’s Day, the adults at the March 7th Squeeze Breakfast club were busy rolling multi-coloured sheets of paper and binding them in place with florist’s wire. Each roll was then teased out into a giant ‘dahlia’ to be given to those mothers attending the next Sunday. Some of the children had tried this, but found it difficult for little fingers and had graduated to making Mother’s Day cards

Pastor Jim Beveridge took up the theme with his Topical Talk: The Spring weather gives the chance to explore neglected parts of the garden. Venturing across wet grass, the brown stumps of former plants, layers of dead foliage, and frost damage remains. As the debris is cut away and leaves are cleared, we find some nodules, nodules of green. Green shoots, new shoots. Life springs at Springtime.

To achieve new growth in the garden, it is best to cut away the dead and withered remains of leaf and branch. This is a picture from Nature that is helpful to us as we enter a new Season, a new Spring of our lives. Best to cut away the dead works or finished part of our lives, to clear away past debris to allow new life to grow unhindered.

Spring clean the areas of life that are worn and, frankly, past their “sell by date.” Re-energise the run down springs; receive new springs – of living water, of streams of living water of the river of Life. Don’t paddle in the winter shallows – dive into the refreshing, effervescent Spring Waters. Spring into New Life! Spring has Sprung! Have you?

These verses from the Bible (Isaiah ch.43, vv18 and 19) spring to mind., and may help you: “See I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and making streams in the wasteland.” Do not paddle – be immersed. And expect the unexpected. Like Jesus making a way where there seemed to be no way. Try saying ‘YES’ instead of “no way.” Amen

Please note: There will be no Squeeze Breakfast Club in April as the first Sunday falls on Easter Day. We shall meet in our own Church at Chapel Row on that date for Easter Worship.