What a glorious sight! There was something about this tree that made me sense that there was the potential for a blog post.
The word ‘promise’ nudged it’s way into my consciousness as I looked at the photograph, which I took a couple of days ago. We are about the enter another ‘lock down’ and we all have much to face; here are some words from the prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament.. ‘But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.‘ As far as I am aware, trees don’t soar, nor do we (!) but the words of Isaiah are powerful in their expression.
The promise of God and these words of Isaiah, expressed to the most difficult of times, are here for us, in these days. The soaring is inward in Isaiah’s vision. The lifting of our spirit in these uncertain times. Let these words of Isaiah inhabit your days in the weeks ahead. The tree might look quite forlorn, but life pulses within it. The promise of spring days and warmth. The potential lies waiting! Just as we find ourselves in these times.
Please be assured of my thoughts and prayers in the days ahead.
Musings 
Hi Barrie, when I first opened your email my immediate thought was that the photo was going to be firstly be about the battle between good and evil and secondly the struggle of rural parishes to live within the Church of England’s failure to provide the tools to help clear the way for a clear vision of how, we, can maintain a Christian ministry and continue our pastoral care and our stated mission within our areas of influence. The tree is struggling against the cloying nature of ivy starving the tree of life and leaving it vulnerable to disease. The tree will survive but will need a lot of help to bring it back to its majestic glory.
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