No matter how much the north wind blows, or the snow piles up, spring can’t be stopped!
I see it in the flocks of returning birds, the lengthening of daylight, and the dripping of icicles.
The arrival of spring became especially clear this past Sunday while on a hike. Just as we rounded the path there stood a tall bush proudly donning pussy willows in bloom. We had to stop and tarry awhile, snapping photos and admiring all that they represent.
In these little gems I heard birds singing, felt the hint of a warm breeze, saw fresh laundry flapping on the cloths line and lace curtains dancing in the window. Nothing says “spring” more then lace curtains dancing by an open window!
March can be a discouraging month with one day warm and welcoming and the next full of wind and snow. I always imagine it is a tug- of- war between winter and spring, but spring wins every time!
Just when we think colour may never return to the earth we find phlox, tulips, snow drops and hyacinths popping up over night! As Rev. Virgil Kraft writes, “Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.”
May you find little gems of spring along the way; tokens of the beauty that lies ahead.
Blessings,
Rev. Heather McCarrel
The photo with this Blog was taken by Carl Schlabach used with permission/Unsplash
In my neighbor’s yard there are 3 milkweed plants that stand tall and stately against the snow and winds of a Georgian Bay winter. Months ago most of the pods released their feathery seeds with the autumn wind scattering them about, but there are two pods which remain tightly closed.
These two-snow covered and wind battered pods have become a powerful symbol for me. Most of us are arriving to this Lenten season a bit battered; COVID-19 having reigned large in our day to day living for nearly a year now. I feel we need a new and more contextual symbol for such a time as this and the milkweed pod is the perfect symbol!
Each snow-covered pod contains immeasurable and unimaginable potential; each packed full of God’s promises of new life, new beginnings and of a faith-filled optimism. These pods represent God’s hidden promises.
As the Apostle Paul writes, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1).
Lent is the journey of newness for all of us; it is a time when we rejoice that God is a God of promises. And these promises are not empty but full of the power that comes from the Christ who comes back to life in resurrection. During Lent, we can have confidence that Christ is bringing us with him into a new and wonderful beginning.
As the hymn, In The Bulb There Is a Flower, proclaims:
Last week I went for a walk along the shoreline and was shocked by what I found! Where, just a week prior, a tall tree had stood there now was just a gnawed off trunk and a pile of wood chips. As I walked further similar destruction laid along the path; several trees downed, and gnawed trunks left in their place.
I learned that Beavers do not hibernate and need to keep gnawing at wood to file down their ever-growing teeth. Apparently, they stockpile sticks and bits of wood in case things become scarce over the winter months and they also become bored and simply gnaw down trees to keep busy.
This Beaver certainly had outdone himself, with at least 5 trees downed and plenty of sticks left to decay; it would seem he lived well into his reputation of being a “Busy Beaver”.
It all reminded me of our recent lock-down.
Since Boxing Day on December 26th, 2020 to February 16th, 2021 we have been in a State of Emergency in the province of Ontario with “Stay at Home” orders.
This was the longest winter in my life. By the first of February, my home office felt half the size it did two months earlier- the walls just kept moving in closer and closer and closer!
The morning of Tuesday, February 16th I felt like a sprinter at the starting line ready to leap into action, but God had different plans. A terrific snowstorm arrived shutting down buses, closing roads and keeping us stuck at home for one more day.
Much like that Beaver, I was ready to get out and be busy again. I wanted to go to Winners, Michaels and the hair salon. There were pastoral visits needing my attention and I wanted to work out of the church office for the first time in weeks instead of my ever shrinking home office.
Remembering the destruction the Beaver left behind because of his untamed need to be busy I paused to consider why I was so tempted to become busy again.
If we are not careful, we could jump back into bad habits for no other reason except to feel important, exhausting our finances, time and energy in the process. Perhaps we should pause before jumping back in and ask ourselves some questions.
Nothing could be easier than to live our lives totally immersed in our busy everyday activities with only the occasional thought of what it all really means.
Lent arrives this week, a time when we are asked to once again make space for what is at the heart of our lives. To look closely at what motivates our words and actions; to evaluate if we are truly living a Christ like life.
May we not rush back without reflecting on how we want to spend the moments of our days.
Blessings, Rev. Heather McCarrel
The Photo with this Blog was taken by Braedon McLeod used with permission/Unsplash
There are moments in life when the unexpected happens and we are taken by surprise. Such moments as a fender bender, spilled coffee, or when the bottom gives way on our grocery bag half way to the car! These moments cause us dismay, aggravation and stress.
Thankfully, these are not the only kind of unexpected moments. All around us is the presence of a Great Creator who delights in surprising us with beauty and awe.
Such was the case early one morning last week when an unusual light caught my eye. It was the light of a full moon shining through a row of icicles hanging across our upstairs window. Have you even seen moonlight through icicles? It is a sight to be held; their gilded edges glimmering with an otherworldly glow. I stepped closer trying to capture this magical light in my palm, full of gratitude that I came along when I did. This was a gift given to awaken a part of my soul that was slowly closing off due to days of boredom as I obediently stayed “safe at home.”
Later that same day I again was captured by God’s unexpected beauty. This time it was along the shores of Georgian Bay as I stood captivated by a strange music of ice, waves and rocks. We stood along the water’s edge, each trying to find the words to describe the mesmerizing sound of small ice pieces riding the cold waves back and forth from the jagged water’s edge. A stranger, drawn in by the melody, joined us and she too cocked her head to listen and before walking on quietly said, “It sounds like a thousand pieces of broken glass. “
It reminded me of a wind chime that hung in my bedroom window as a child; clear plastic rectangles that held pressed dried flowers and filled my room with a cascade of melody with each breathe of the wind. I haven’t thought of that wind chime in years; funny how a sound or a scent can carry us back to places long forgotten.
These unexpected moments of God’s beauty fill us with all we need to carry on during these pandemic days; reminders that we are not alone and there is much more to our living then just the daily routine.
Rev. J.R. Miller wrote, “We are meant as Christians to live amid all circumstances in quiet calmness and unbroken peace, in sweet restfulness of soul, wholly independent of the strife’s and storms about us…” and we do this by keeping our hearts open to receive God’s unexpected gifts and to delight in God’s abiding presence.
May you be surprised by beauty today,
Rev. Heather McCarrel
The Photo with today’s Blog was taken by Oleg Gaspodarec used with permission/Unsplash
We have been enjoying a rather balmy January along these southern shores of Georgian Bay and along the sandier shores of Lake Huron. Balmy as in temperatures hovering around 0 to -7 degrees Celsius. This is so warm for us that I saw a guy in shorts the other day!
Abby, my canine sidekick, and I have been lingering longer on our daily walks listening to the gurgling of the unfrozen rivers, the dripping of icicles and the gathering of chatty birds. It was all fun and games until Sunday afternoon.
On Sunday afternoon my enjoyment turned to concern when both my husband I noticed unseasonal buds forming on a tree along our pathway. Upon closer investigation we noticed other trees along the trail were also beginning to wake early from what should be a long winter’s nap.
As we pulled into our driveway, we were alarmed to notice the crocuses had already begun to grow and were at least an inch above ground (the photo with today’s Blog)! This took us back 9 years ago when the fruit industry in Ontario and Quebec were devasted by a mild winter. It was the apple orchards hit particularly hard because the buds formed way too early and by mid-March the blossoms started appearing and in April a terrific frost killed off an entire years’ worth of fruit.
As the Author of Ecclesiastes writes, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). This is an ancient wisdom teaching us to trust in the rhythm of life. There is a time for things to grow, a time to thrive, and a time to rest. When we mess with that rhythm terrible things can happen.
It is the same with people. There is a time to be together and a time to let them go. It isn’t wise to try to hold onto something or someone longer then the season allows, and it makes life a sad affair if we spend our time yearning for things that have yet to come or if their time has passed.
As a Mother I have had to learn this the hard way. As each of my children have grown and started lives of their own, I have had to let them go; out into a world I cannot control. To hold them here, safely at home, would have stunted their growth and they would have missed out on what God had in store for them.
It takes trust in God to release those we love. Knowing God goes with us wherever we go makes the parting easier and aids us to take the necessary steps in new directions.
I have decided to trust God with the crocuses and apple trees promising not to complain when the north wind returns; understanding its chilly breezes renders the trees and flowers back to their necessary winter repose.
There are some who can party well past midnight, staying up to ring in the New Year under starry skies and a full moon. And, there are others like myself, who instead wake well before dawn so to celebrate the New Year as its first rays stretch over the horizon.
It was a beautiful sunrise in a cold blue sky with just enough wispy clouds to reflect the pink and peach shades of this virgin sunrise of 2021. I watched in silence thanking God for the gift of new beginnings and fresh starts.
Last year was well worn and tatty; it needed replacing. There had been too much difficulty in 2020, a world caught in the snares of COVID-19, anxiety levels that spilled over to violence, racism, and the rise of fake news and unaccountable gossip and bullying.
I wonder what we will carry forward from the past year. What lessons were learned and which habits have taken root. It is my hope we have learned much about the need for each other and we never again take for granted the power of community, the touch of a hand or a comforting smile. I hope we value more enduring things such as hope, faith, love and respect. I fear the habit of “fake news”, misinformation and devastating gossip has become a pandemic hobby, one that keeps bored folks busy providing a sense of power and authority and has filled Facebook pages. Have you ever noticed the very word gossip hisses? Kind-a like a snake luring folks into temptation that leads to darkness and depravation.
As the sunrises on this new year I am looking forward to sharing smiles more with others (when we can again go without masks), I plan on hugging longer holding close those who are dear to me, I plan on making the most of each day, rising above those who want to waddle around in muddy gossip and not once will I allow such words to pass my lips.
This year is a new beginning like I have never experienced in my lifetime; a year of healing, rebuilding and readjusting to new priorities. Sure, it will take time, true healing always does but it will be worth every little step forward.
What are your plans for 2021? What path will you tread in this New Year?
Blessings,
Rev.Heather McCarrel
The photo with this Blog was taken by Vincent Ledvina/Unsplash
Like everyone else around the globe we are having a COVID Christmas this year. For those of us living in Ontario the government has set guidelines for our gatherings, only those who live in our household or those in our “Bubble” can celebrate Christmas together.
For my husband and I it means this year we won’t be pulling the dining room table to its fullest length and fitting in all the leaves. It means we won’t be going around the house gathering all the available chairs and placing them snugly around the dining room. It means we won’t be preparing a meal for 17-20 folks or cleaning up all the dishes, cutlery and stemware of 17-20 folks!
We won’t be spending time this holiday season lined up in stuffy stores to either purchase unnecessary gifts or return them.
In fact, I have so fully embraced the simplicity of this COVID Christmas I didn’t even get out any Christmas decorations; not one! Instead I went to the local Walmart and bought a pre-lit 3 foot imitation tree, which, after some garland and plastic decorations looks mighty nice sitting on top of a table in my living room. The plastic decorations will make it easier to put this tree away. One clear plastic garbage bag should do the trick: cover the tree and away it goes. Next Christmas when we return to a house full of decorations and a table full of guests this little tree will be used to brighten up a small corner on our second floor.
If I dwelled on it I would be sad during this COVID Christmas; missing my children, wider family, church services and all the busyness of a typical Christmas season. But, what good would that do me? Instead I have decided to embrace this COVID Christmas. While at the grocery store I purchased a few extra treats and my husband and I were reminiscing on how romantic it will be. Like our first few years of marriage when it was only our dog, cat and the two of us. Now, three children, three dogs and four cats later we have arrived full circle to a quieter Christmas!
It also helps to remember we are not alone, everyone is having to pare down their Christmas this year and we are certain next Christmas we will be celebrating enough to make up for two Christmases!
And, as for all the money we will be saving this Christmas. In every community there are opportunities to donate to worthy causes, families that haven’t fared well during this pandemic and front line workers who are exhausted to the point of burnout. The opportunities to be the hands, feet and heart of Christ are everywhere.
How about you? Have you decided to embrace this once in a lifetime Christmas? And, despite COVID have you found ways to mark this holiest of seasons? I certainly hope so!
Wishing you the spirit of Christmas which is peace, the blessing of Christmas which is hope and the heart of Christmas which is love!
Rev. Heather McCarrel
The photo with this Blog is of my COVID Christmas tree !
Joy arrived in my office last week in a clear heavy plastic bag.
With it came a few instructions that were a delight to follow. I could have waited a few days but instead I set aside my work, pulled on my jacket, grabbed my car keys and set out to share some joy.
There were three individuals on my list to see. Each was well acquainted with difficulties and sadness; each deserving some joy and love. Thing is, as I dropped around to their homes it was I who received just as much as they did, perhaps even more!
Each received a comfort quilt that had purposely been created for them. Each quilt uniquely designed with the recipient in mind and I was amazed by how perfectly each quilt fit the one receiving it.
There is a small group of 5 joy bearers in Saugeen Shores and I was blessed to be asked to do a small part in sharing the joy they created. They call themselves the Comfort Quilters of Saugeen Shores.
Each quilt is created out of donated new fabric. They create one of a-kind masterpieces for individuals undergoing medical treatments, to families who have been displaced due to house fires, and to community groups such as the Second Stage Housing, the Salvation Army, Community Living, Special Olympics, the Living Hope Center, and to 3 local churches.
From January to November of 2020 this little group registered 123 quilts of various designs and sizes – quite a feat for five members! And, as of December 10th, the Comfort Quilters of Saugeen Shores will have distributed 90+ quilts. With each stitch bringing joy and comfort that is a lot of joy to be shared!
When I spoke to one of these crafters of joy she humbly told me, “It is important to note that our members get as much out of making these quilts as the recipients do when they receive them.”
Well, one thing I know for sure is that the three quilts I was blessed to deliver certainly lifted my spirits and filled me with such joy that even now, a week later I am still feeling deeply grateful.
I thank these five women for fully embodying what we all are called to do in 1 Peter 4:10, “Every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many-coloured tapestry of God’s grace.”(1 Peter 4:10, TPT)
May their needles never dull, their threads never knot and may their hands never tire as they go about doing God’s work.
Blessings,
Rev. Heather McCarrel
The Photo with this Blog was taken by Dinh Pham/Unsplash
Have you ever stood at the tipping point of the day? It is a fleeting moment of stillness steeped in otherworldly peace. One doesn’t go out seeking this moment with calculations, maps and directions. This moment is given as a gift from the Great Spirit; a gift to be held in our hearts as a reminder that God is always present.
It was late in the afternoon when we headed off for a hike through familiar fields within view of the rocky escarpment and the soundtrack of the Sydenham River rushing past. It had been an emotional week beginning with the death of my husband’s father. A week of funeral arrangements, phone calls, and uncomfortable decisions such as which 30 family and friends should be invited to the funeral (COVID-19 rules in our area allow for only 30 people to a funeral). We knew the next day would start early as we traveled from our peaceful spot on Georgian Bay into the hustle and bustle of the city so the idea of a quiet hike pleased us.
As the trail led through an open field, up a slight incline and back toward the car my husband whispered, “Hey, look over there do you see the sun?” To our right the round brilliant sun was setting beautifully silhouetted by a row of tall bare trees; its glow of orange and yellow hues was awe inspiring. Then, as if tapped on our shoulders we both looked to our left and just as magnificently, a round full moon was rising over the rocky eastern horizon. The sky held in equal measure both the sun and the moon; each full and round yet only half exposed by the horizons.
We stood transfixed between the two. If I had stretched out my arms it would have appeared as though I was touching the sun with my outstretched right index finger and at the same time touching the moon with my outstretched left index finger.
It seemed these two ancient globes paused long enough to gaze at one another; a moment of Godly symmetry aglow with divine light.
May we all find moments this Advent Season to experience God’s unexpected miracles and may we all bask in God’s divine light.
Blessings,
Rev. Heather McCarrel
The photo with this Blog I took at Sauble Beach on Lake Huron , Ontario one warm July evening.
The counter culture of Advent is that as the nights grow longer and the hours of daylight diminish the holy days of Advent gather light with each new candle lit; this accumulation of light crescendos with the birth of the one True Light that no darkness can extinguish.
Much like the Jewish season of Hanukkah, Advent is dubbed the “Season of Gathering Light.”
This year, 2020, the idea of gathering light has taken on new meaning for me. Instead of just lighting a new candle each Sunday it now entails the gathering of God’s light in each day; each moment. My commitment to the Advent Journey is to glean as much of God’s light out of each and every day.
I will linger longer with those who speak words of hope, peace, joy and love. I will dedicate myself to discerning God’s divine light, whether it is in a stranger, friend or foe. I will take note and add each new spark to my Advent jar. Much like a child catching fire flies and placing them in a mason jar, I will capture God’s light by writing it down on little strips of paper until my mason jar is brimming.
It will be a difficult Advent with the ever growing concerns over COVID-19 and the distancing of friends and family. It will be an Advent and Christmas we won’t soon forget; I am determined to wring out God’s goodness from every moment.
Will you join me? Together we can light a path for others to tread.
Gather with us at Port Elgin United Church as we mark the beginning of Advent this Sunday, November 29th, 2020 during our online service.
Blessings,
Rev. Heather McCarrel
The photo with this Blog was taken by Garidy Sanders/Unsplash.
Stain Glass Lens of the 21st Century 