On Donkeys

Like me, you probably love Palm Sunday.

I mean, who doesn’t love donkeys. They are such stoic, beautiful, thoughtful animals. No wonder people are keen to adopt them.

Alongside the Palm Sunday Donkey, and the one that Mary rode, another famous Donkey is….. yes…. Eeyore.

More than just a cartoon donkey, he is surprisingly full of wisdom. He cleverly reminds us that we don’t need to always feel happy. That it is okay to feel sad, to feel gloomy, to spend time reflecting in that place.

He tells us that “A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” Who can argue with that?

And of his musings, I really loves is this “The nicest thing about the rain, is that it always stops. Eventually.”

Let us go to God in prayer…

Heavenly Parent we give you thanks for the joyous abundant world around us. You have filled our world with beautiful flora and fauna, all manner of creation that can inspire us and bring us understanding about Your nature. If we look around we can learn so much. Not only that, but you made us. You made us as humans to be creative beings; to design and draw and sculpt and write and find hundreds of ways to share simple messages with our fellow humans. Remind each of us here that we are created to be creative. We are full of wisdom and knowledge and insight and you call on each of us to find ways to share that with others.

Heavenly Parent we are reminded today that it is okay to feel sad.

We give you thanks that you created us with free will and choice. Through this we will sometimes find ourselves in great places. Through this we will sometimes find ourselves in places that don’t feel so great. When we are joyful and happy you are there with us. When we are sad and down you are also with us, sharing in that space.

Remind us we don’t always have to plaster on a smile or rush to find happiness to make others feel better. There is much to learn through exploring our sadder side.

Lord, be with each person out there today who feels sad, low, gloomy. Help them to heal and through that journey of healing, to learn and then share that learning.

Today we are reminded that the rain will always stop. Eventually.

Sometimes it feels that we are stuck in the rain, stuck in the cold. Sometimes it feels like the difficult place we are in is our prison forever, that things will not get better.

Holy Spirit we pray for everyone suffering during the pandemic. We place before you all those who are finding this time a challenge. Bless them Holy Spirit with your comfort and mercy.

This pandemic will end. This lock down will end. All things pass. Today we pray that you grant each of us patience. We have hope of a day when the lock down is over and we come out the other side afresh and new. After the rain there will be a rainbow. Whenever we see that rainbow we will give you praise indeed. In Jeremiah we are reminded that the Lord does indeed have plans for us. These plans are for our very best welfare and so we ask you Holy Spirit to provide for each of us a sense of hope, a future, a sense of vision.

Jesus remind us that for everything there is a season. There is a time for every matter under Heaven. A time for rain and a time when the rain ceases.

Amen!