Lindisfarne sunrise!

I have been so very privileged to spend a weekend on Lindisfarne. I prayed about where I was to be, and a wonderful and encouraging lady called Kay and the URC church was to be an answer to my prayer! A long story, and a miracle allowed me to be here. God provided for me so perfectly, I am astounded.

I was so very tired coming here, weighed down by the cares of the world. But here in this holy island, with a history of hundreds of years of prayer, the gift of peace was given. Reading about the Lindisfarne gospels, imagining the life of the Christian community here, being at St Cuthbert’s Island have been inspiring.

And then the weather- windy, cold but clear and sunny has suited me. Long walks watching the changes of the tide, and the roar of the sea have been breathtaking.

The waves have been so mighty, they have looked like white hedgehogs moving across the ocean, stirring up ever changing foam tapestries in every direction. Phenomenal!

So many verses are coming back to me, but especially from psalm 67:         

    ‘ May God be gracious to us and bless us, and make His face shine upon us.’                                

When we see the sun rise over the horizon, it is a sign of hope. Whatever the darkness of the previous day has been, today we have a new beginning. God wants us to learn from the past, to find healing, and to then to bless us. The sunrise brings rays of light, and is a tangible sign of a new way forward.

Gracious God, thank You for the way that You provide for your people, in such perfect forms, and for the ways that your holy spirit is at work. Even when we have been lost in darkness, Your light still shines upon us.

We also thank you for your mercies, which are new every morning, for your holy spirit who breathes new life into us though prayer, reflection and the beauty of your creation. Thank you for places of pilgrimage, where we can retreat, and find shelter, rest and restoration. Bring refreshment to all who are weary, and may your beautiful light bring inspiration and blessing, hope and courage for each new day, Amen.