November! Urgh. Definitely not the favourite month for parrots living in the northern hemisphere. And that’s because it’s getting dark. It’s getting cold. The Swallows have flown south. Plants are dying back. Leaves are falling off the trees, and the whole of Winter is yet to come. As I look out of the window, it seems that the world has become a gloomy place with a thick barrier of cloud shutting out the rays of sunshine that would otherwise bring us comfort and joy. And I guess that we all go through periods in our lives when we find ourselves trapped in the midst of November. Those times when we feel deflated and flat; when things aren’t going as well as we’d like; when problems and difficulties merge together to extinguish our hopes and aspirations for the future.
And it's at times like this that I look out into the garden and take some inspiration from my feathered friends. Because the birds are still active; the robin still sings; and life goes on despite the gloom. And that’s because November is but a passing month; Winter is but a season; and the sun’s still shining in the sky, even though it’s hidden by a blanket of cloud. And the best of all is yet to come. Next month, when the northern hemisphere reaches its darkest hour, the other type of ‘Son’ will come to Earth. Jesus will arrive in the midst of the gloom, bringing light and hope and joy to us all. So if we’re having a difficult time today, we need to be like those birds outside, staying patient and strong, and keeping faith in our hearts.
“I’ve read the last page of the Bible. It’s all going to turn out all right.”
(Billy Graham: [1918-2018]: American evangelist, Baptist Minister and civil rights advocate)
“This is Christian hope, that the future is in God’s hands.”
(Pope Francis: [1936 – present]: Current leader of the Catholic Church)
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
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