Saying Yes

A particularly good 3-Minute Retreat today, I reckon. It's entitled "Saying Yes", and focuses on Mary's song (the Magnificat) when she visits her cousin Elizabeth. "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour."
I love the comment about this, including, "Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist, praises Mary for her devotion to God, calling her blessed. Mary offers praise for God's love to those most in need...." That's such a helpful summary of the moment. And then come the questions of which the second is: "How can I develop a habit of gratitude and praise to God?"

Before the rain, from my conservatory chair

After this week of winds and wet, though nothing like the hurricanes and tropical storms we've being viewing from the US, I'm grateful that we seized the day last Friday and enjoyed our garden, before it was flattened. Geraniums and petunias don't like being wet and blown about! And I'm glad we went out and had a picnic in the sun at Snelsmore Common, and then walked (well, Jane pushed me, to be strictly accurate) round the smooth track to enjoy the sights of early autumn.

And I'm grateful this morning that Jane has sorted the leaking drain beneath the kitchen sink. It seems there's no end to my wife's talents. Oh yes, and thank you, Lord, for healing my back and helping me to walk with my rollator again. People might be sceptical, but I believe God created the self-healing properties of living creatures. And, after all these weeks, I'm blooming grateful!

PS Today's celebrated as the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary - and I'm grateful that she said that all-important 'yes' not many years later.