In August this year, the field behind our home was brown, stunted, and often only partially grown. Most years at this time it is a glorious golden harvest field. Yet the farmer gathered what he could, prepared the ground and re-sowed in September. His life time in farming gave him perseverance and hope.

Next year’s crops have now sprung into life marking the field with lines of regimented green shoots. Only time will tell what the outcome will be next harvest-tide. However what we see now helps us to live in hope for the future.

In the challenging times we are facing, like the farmer, we must salvage what we can from the experience, work with love and perseverance for the future, and rejoice when we see signs of hope.

Living with hope, because of all that God in Christ has done for us, is a key Christian attribute. It can transform our barrenness into green shoots of recovery.

Roger