It’s impossible to put into words the deep sense of loss we have for our dearly beloved monarch, Queen Elizabeth ll, and how impactful her death is worldwide, especially for us as her nation and citizens.
She has been such a stable, constant presence in our lives over decades and a huge part of our nation’s heritage. The Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer revealed the great reverence and love most of us have for our monarch.
How do you sum up such an amazing life and reign? I’m not sure. But in this slightly clumsily written acrostic poem I’ve tried my best to honour the Queen’s memory and convey my impressions of her character and reign as we seek to adjust and mourn her death.
“And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.” — Gilbert K. Chesterton
We’ve been blessed with a summer of mostly bright blue skies and unprecedented heatwaves in the UK, yet it’s left us desperate for the slightest sign of rain. Grass is as tinder-dry as straw, and leaves and plants are wilting into an early autumnal response.
When it did eventually rain recently, I watched with awe and felt like I wanted to dance in it. The air became clean and fresh and our hearts lifted. The sight, the sound, the joy of it was palpable.
Though there are times in our lives when joy departs and we feel as if we’re living under a dark cloud. One that temporarily blocks the sun or stays around for weeks and months.
It’s hard to savour the changing seasons if our souls stay parked in winter, but the poem below encourages us to maintain a brighter perspective as we look to the Source of all things who gives us hope to start again.
Perhaps we can learn to splash in the puddles and dance in the rain, and face the deluges and showers in our lives with equanimity. Whether they’re sudden and slight or prolonged and persistent, we can deliberately look for the joy and the light, the relief and reprieve, the comfort and calm, the rainbow promises which God brings to all hurting hearts.
Rain will come. We can’t always be prepared for it. As soaking sheets or delicate showers, rain won’t always be welcomed by us, but we can remind ourselves of the cover, the umbrella protectiveness which God provides over us with His overseeing care, compassion and love. Then we can say, “Let the rain fall.” with the courage, confidence and resilience which faith and hope bring to reassure us that all will be well.
“Healing rain is a real touch from God. It could be physical healing or emotional or whatever.” — Michael W. Smith
NOTE: This poem was extracted from my Sacred Noticing e-bookwhich is on offer at Amazon from 02/09/22 to 07/09/22 as my birthday gift to you! If you would like a reminder of sunnier days, there’s a free printable pdfbelow of a poem called ‘Life on pause’ which is also extracted from Sacred Noticing. And you might like to read myfirst foray into fictionwith a short story about a boy who dared speak the truth. Blessings and love. Xx 🙂 ❤