When I was a child, I had a heart disease, and I was bedridden for a number of years. It was a difficult and lonely time for me, and I am sure that this was also a challenging time for my parents as they cared for me, to keep me busily occupied, and yet, for me to remain quiet in my bed.

Having visitors, including my school tutors, were exciting times for me, breaking up the boredom of staring at the four walls as I lay in my bed. One visitor, whom I remember so very well, was my Sunday School teacher from the local church to which our family belonged. She brought me a wonderful and thoughtful present which I still have today: a lovely brooch pin with a round glass orb and a small mustard seed inside it. Not only had I received a wrapped gift, which is exciting for any child, but along with the gift was a big message, for she told me the Bible parables and stories that Jesus shared about the mustard seed.

This was a time of great concern for my health, and my Sunday School teacher encouraged my faith to look towards strength and healing, as nothing is impossible with God! Taking time out of her day to visit, to bring a gift, and to share this story and her faith with me did make a difference for me in my own faith journey. I remember this visit as if it were just yesterday! It was amazing!

Matthew 13:31-32 – He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches." (NIV)

Just as the mustard tree provided shelter for the birds, so, also, within the kingdom of God there is a place of rest, shelter, and peace for all, as we are relieved of guilt over our sins, worry about our lives, and the fear of death.

Just as my Sunday School teacher shared the mustard seed parable from her Bible, so also should we be nurturing seeds of faith in others, providing them with a picture of the growing kingdom of God which starts from faith in Him.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for making a place for us in Your kingdom. Help us to plant seeds of faith in those around us. Amen.

There was another boat in a scary situation on the water so long ago. I will set the scene: imagine this event. The wind is howling; the sky overhead is dark with heavy clouds. Thunder and lightning are crashing and booming. The rain is pouring, and the boat is rocking up and down in the high waves. Water is splashing into the boat, and some very frightened disciples are clinging to the gunwales. Some of these disciples are experienced fishermen, a hearty lot at that, and prior to following Jesus, they were on the water fishing for a living. Nevertheless, they are scared, very scared of what might happen to them in this furious storm.

Mark 4:38-41 – Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" (NIV)

Jesus assumes that they had no reason to be afraid, as He was with them. The disciples had a real example of Jesus' power over all circumstances. When we read of this event in our Bible, it reinforces our belief that God is with us in the storms of our lives, too. It is easy to think that we can get through our trials on our own, but remember — we are not alone. Just as the experienced kayaker led the way through the rapids for the rest of us, Jesus is here leading our way through the rough and calm waters of our lives. We just have to reach out to Him in faith through our prayers.

Prayer: God, thank You for leading us through all our good days and not-so-good days. Amen.

Springtime brings feathered friends to our feeder. We still see some of the winter birds, but the little birds are returning and flocking to our feeder. To name just a few, we see finches in a variety of colours, woodpeckers, juncos, chickadees, and my personal favourite, the chipping sparrow.

I remember the first time when I saw this bird with a distinct red patch on its head and wondered what it could be. An Internet search gave me my answer — it was a chipping sparrow. Well, that added to my delight, as my long-time favourite hymn is God sees the little sparrow fall written by Maria Straub in 1874. When I was a child, oh, so long ago, this was a regular children's hymn during our weekly church service. Along with its easy-to-remember lyrics, it has a catchy little tune composed by Solomon W. Straub. I remember that I marvelled at the words of this song that showed how God knew me, loved me, and cared for me — ME — just a little child! I sang along loudly with the congregation this favourite song of mine, and although I know that I was usually off key, I certainly sang happily with joy in my heart. My sighting of the chipping sparrow brings back that wonder of my childhood.

The words and meaning of this song have resonated with me into adulthood. God shows us in the symbol of our feathered friends that He loves us and will care for us, so we do not have to worry. He will take care of us through all the trials and tribulations in life. Life never goes smoothly, as much as we may plan otherwise: illness, death of a loved one, relationship issues, financial woes, and more, but we can trust that God will take care of us through everything that life throws at us, and we need not worry or be afraid.

Matthew 10:29-31 – What is the price of two sparrows — one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. (NLT)

Prayer: Thank You, God, for the symbol of Your love and care for us, every moment, every day, as we see our feathered friends and nature all around us. Amen.

When we are children, some of the first words that we are taught are "please" and "thank you", in some families even simplified as "ta-ta". Our children listen to our words and watch our actions, repeating what they see and hear as we adults interact with those around us.

Saying "thank you" is a kind gesture of appreciation for something done for us. When I was a child, I was prompted to say "thank you", and it was important to write thank-you notes, sharing what gifts or visits meant to me. Now with the ability to email and text, it is even easier to take a moment to say "thank you".

When I document minutes for meetings and then type and send those minutes out to members, the chairperson will send me a note of thanks for my efforts, each and every time I do this task. This is so encouraging! How good it feels to have someone show appreciation for our time and effort! But when we do something special for someone and they don't even acknowledge it, how disappointing and deflating it can be!

After Jesus responded with healing to the ten men who had the horrible leprosy disease, He expressed His surprise that only one out of the ten returned to thank Him for this healing. Jesus must have been disappointed that His efforts were not recognized and appreciated. How sad, maybe even upsetting this must have been for Jesus. This was a life-changing healing that was granted by Jesus. Once shunned and forced to live in isolation and poverty due to having this disease, they now had a chance to live, work, and socialize with friends and family. How much rejoicing this would bring, but only one returned to say "thank you" to Jesus.

God is constantly giving us gifts: life, health, strength, jobs, rain, sunshine, crops, food, and so on, as well as the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life in Christ. How discouraging it must be for God when people do not recognize and thank Him as the source of these benefits each day.

Do we remember to thank God, in our prayers, for the daily blessings in our lives?

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for loving us, blessing us, and supporting us in so many ways each day. Amen.