16th June 2023

My sister was ill and my mother was looking after the children. She was walking to the shops with David aged 4. They met an elderly woman trudging back up the hill who said “Good Morning”. My mother responded and, wondering whether this was a neighbour of my sister, whispered to David “Who’s that?” He replied loudly and with the clear diction of my family, “I don’t know, but it’s kind to say hello to old ladies with wobbly legs”.  My mother hurried on hoping the ‘old lady with wobbly legs’ had not heard!

So kindness and small things:-

At the recent coronation the cross used in the procession as the King entered was the Cross of Wales presented to the Church in Wales in 2020 by the King (then Prince of Wales). Engraved on it in Welsh it says “Be joyful. Keep the faith. Do little things”.  (Thanks to Rob Ewing, Rector of Portishead for this.)

Was this last bit about small things a reference to Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s advice saying “Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world”?

Both remind us to get on with doing small acts of kindness and small deeds that we can do rather than waiting to feel called by God to some great action. Perhaps this is relevant to the sign-up lists we are asked to consider this month…

Margaret Clements