Small beginnings

I returned to work this week.

I am one of a team of lawyers and secretaries. Some of you will know that they told me before Christmas they had paid for a tree to be planted by the Woodland Trust out at Ashby de la Zouch to remember and celebrate the life of Freelance Nerd. This week they were able to give me the certificate from the Trust and some literature about their work.

I was very moved by all this but it made me think a bit more about this young sapling.

I suppose it would be understandable to link it to FLN himself, his vulnerability and the years ahead which he will not enjoy here with us his friends and family.

But that is not really where this picture takes me.

It is almost a travesty to call this a sapling. It is something between a shoot and a sapling. And I think that is where lots of us may be at the beginning of 2007. Putting our heads above the ground, testing out the future, even seeing signs of new growth.

There is hope and a sense of promise in this young plant. It has the potential to be a mighty tree. It may be buffeted by the weather. It will need feeding and protection. But grow it will because that is its purpose in life.

So as we come to an end of the first week in the new year my prayer is for our God to feed the spirit of hope that is alive among us and that we may continue to share together the growing experiences of the days ahead!!