Through all the changing scenes of life

For the last couple of months, I have been on an extended study leave, and for a large amount of that time, I have been walking the Camino Frances, starting in St. Jean Pied de Port in France and walking to Santiago in Spain, about 500 miles, definitely more when you add in the scenic detours to places of interest along the way, and walking around all the towns I stayed in, in the evening.

One thing that struck me very quickly as I walked through some outstandingly beautiful countryside, was how varied the landscape could be, one day I would be walking through vineyards, the next through woodlands, and the next through wheatfields.

I was also struck by how much further on the crops were than the ones in this country. As I was walking past fields of knee-high wheat at the end of April, there were bright red poppies showing their faces, something that we would not expect to see in the UK that early on.

As I have adjusted back to life in the King’s Ridge Parishes, of course, we have had an extremely dry and hot summer, the harvest of the fields being mostly gathered in by the end of July.

In September our minds turn to Harvest in our churches and giving thanks for the abundance and many good gifts that we are given, and a reminder to share from our plenty, with those whose harvests have been poor.

As I walked through the many changing landscapes of the Camino Frances, I was reminded of a hymn, the first verse of which goes,

‘Through all the changing scenes of life,

in trouble and in joy,

the praises of my God shall still,

my heart and tongue employ.’

Our lives take us through many landscapes, some which bring us overwhelming joy, and others which bring us heartache and pain, but as we go through each and every one, Jesus walks the path with us, and so we can still sing our praises to God.

I pray that you will know Gods blessing and presence with you, in whichever landscape you are journeying through today.

Rev Heather