Tag: Kindness

Thanks be to God

A wise friend once said to me that it only costs the price of a stamp to thank people for something they have done for us or a kindness they have shown to us. Saying Thank You can seem a small thing to do but it can make a world of difference to the person receiving thanks.
Today we might do this via email, WhatsApp or telephone but sending and receiving a greetings card is still rather special.

Kindness is something which is too often lacking in society and it’s all too easy to take people for granted.
That is particularly true about God. We take his love for us for granted and we can fall short of thanking him for his goodness to us.
That is something that I think as we approach Lent.

At a time when so much in the world is dark and negative, life can exist in a state of gloom and emptiness.
That can only ever be part of the story. There are many things that happen which are much more positive. There are also people who make our lives happy and hopeful, joyful and full of kindness.
So, one thing which can help us to change the balance from despair and sadness to joy and gladness is to spend time on giving thanks. In particular we can use the period of Lent as a time of thankfulness to God.
At the beginning and end of each day we can identify something that has happened recently and for which we can thank God. Maybe write these things in a notebook which build up into a special kind of prayer book, or maybe use post-it notes.

We can offer our thanks in a very simple way. During a time of quiet, perhaps only a few minutes, you can tell God your thanksgiving. It may be for some personal action of God’s grace in your life or for something good that has happened to you or you may want to thank him for taking care of you through a difficult period of your life. You may simply want to thank him for the way he continually blesses you and holds you in love. It may be a thanks for what others have contributed to your life, or for a kindness to a friend or relative. It may be for a new insight into the working of God’s love and grace.

Basically we want to Thank God for his many blessings to us—blessings which far outweigh anything negative in our Life.
We continually rejoice at the way God showers his love and grace upon us and how God blesses our efforts to live out the Gospel and try to live a corporate and individual life of discipleship. We try to serve God as best we can and He guides, strengthens and rejoices in that service.
The Book of Common Prayer has a prayer of General Thanksgiving which we might pray. This prayer can gather your thanks to God. Here’s a modern version.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us
and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves
to your service, and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honour and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

Or something quicker,
a prayer of Dag Hammarkjold (a former General Secretary of the United Nations )

Dear God,
For all that has been, Thanks!
For all that will be, Yes!

[Mr. G. February 14th 2026]

Collops, pancakes and food for the Soul

Collops, Pancakes and Food for the Soul.

In the past, the days before Lent were used to eat up all the food in the house which were traditionally ‘banned’ during the period of Fasting. It was the period of ‘Carnival’ (Carnivale) which is still popular in parts of Southern Europe. One of the most popular being in Venice with its parades and fancy dress and general merriment. ‘Carnivale’ means, literally, ‘farewell to meat’ – a reminder that in Lent meat was not eaten. The Monday before Ash Wednesday is known as Collop Monday because on this day, any meat remaining in the house was fried into collops (like a medallion) and eaten. A traditional recipe involves bacon collops with eggs. Then on the day before Lent, Shrove Tuesday, the remaining eggs were used to produce pancakes (a tradition still extremely popular). Like meat, eggs were forbidden in Lent. Shrove Tuesday has all sorts of customs attached to it as a result.

When I lived in the countryside in a place called Whitechapel in North Lancashire, the children were given a half day holiday to go round the village calling at the farms and homes. They asked politely, please, a pancake!’ I think in the past they received just that but eventually people opted for easier, and more healthy, food. They were each given an orange. No doubt a lot of juice was made that day!

Shrove Tuesday was also the day when people confessed their sins and made themselves ready for the Lenten Fast. The word ‘Shrove’ comes from ‘shriven’ meaning ‘to confess and receive God’s absolution/ forgiveness’.

Nowadays some of the festivity continues but the meaning behind it is lost. Lent is no longer a time for absolute fasting though many ‘give up’ things like chocolate or alcohol. (Sometimes the motive for this abstinence is to do with losing weight for the summer!). Fasting is a good spiritual discipline for all sorts of reasons. It is meant to train the body so that the soul is free to communicate more closely with God; it is a reminder of our Jesus’s desert time when, after fasting he was tempted by the devil and resisted—and we are called to resist the temptations that beset us. Going without food of any kind and perhaps eating more simply at all times helps us to identify with so many in the world who are suffering from malnutrition—people we can help if we give the money saved by avoiding luxury foods to Third World charities and, increasingly, local Food Banks.

More than anything, fasting is also about giving up earthly things in order to concentrate on heavenly ones. A proper Fast is accompanied by a deeper praying. In our modern world we could give up things other than food—such as watching less television—and using the time saved to read a spiritual book. A negative should always be accompanied by a positive. Lent can be a time to ‘take on’ something as well as ‘give up.’ Lent is a positive time. Lent is not a time of gloom but as the word itself means—a spring time for spiritual growth. An exciting time of opportunity to spend more time with God.

For all of us, whether we are religious or not, there is a lot of value of giving something up that would improve our inner being. I remember that, some years ago, the Vicar on the Radio Programme, The Archers, suggested that people should give up gossiping about others. Negative and disparaging comments don’t really affect those about whom they are made unless they hear them. They do, however, destroy the character of the people who participate in such gossip.

Here’s a story.

A certain monk couldn’t wait to tell his abbot the rumour he had heard in the market place.
“Wait a minute”, said the abbot, “what you plan to tell us – is it true?”
“I don’t think it is.”
“Is it useful?”
“No, it isn’t”
“Is it funny?”
“No.”
“Then why should we be hearing it?”

The Vicar of Ambridge finished his sermon on a positive note.
He encouraged his parishioners, and, by extension, us, to do random acts of kindness. We live in a world which many think is cruel and unkind but there are so many acts of goodness happening all the time. They don’t get reported in the media but we all know that they happen and I dare say most, if not all, of us do them.
Our world would be a much better place if our random acts of kindness become even more frequent.

[Mr G]

photo – BBC Food

Helping each other

My friend Joyce sent me this tweet.

I came across this little story recently and when Joyce sent me her tweet of the two pigeons I thought it had a message.

What Joyce observed was that “One of these wood pigeons landed on the bird feeder tray and tried to eat, but was having difficulty because the tray became unbalanced and was lopsided. When the second pigeon arrived, however, the tray was perfectly balanced and they could feed together!”

Here’s the story:
Once there was a small boy who belonged to a poor family. One day, he was crossing through the forest carrying some wood. He saw an old man who was very hungry. The boy wanted to give him some food, but he didn’t have any food of his own. So he continued sadly on his way. Further on, he saw a deer who was very thirsty. He wanted to give it some water, but he didn’t have water for himself. So once again, he went on his way ahead.

Then he saw a man who wanted to make a camp but he did not have wood. The boy asked his problem and realized that this time he could help. He gave the wood he was carrying to the man. In return, the man gave him some food and water. Quickly, he went back to the old man and gave him some food and gave some water to the deer. The old man and the deer were very happy. The boy then went happily on his way.

However, one day the boy was in the forest again and fell down a hill. He was in pain but he couldn’t move and there seemed no one there to help him. But, the old man who he had helped before saw him and quickly came and pulled him up the hill. He had many wounds on his legs. The deer, to whom the boy had given water, came and saw his wounds. She quickly went into the forest and brought some herbs. After some time his wounds were covered. All were very happy that they were able to help each other.

Acts of kindness and care have a way of making the world a better place. A place where, by helping and sharing with each other, becomes a more caring and happy place. Let’s learn from the pigeons, the boy, the old man and the deer. That would, I am sure gladden God’s heart.

[Mr G]

Cat on a hot tin roof

From: PAGLI Ace Reporter

As most of you know, I allow my servant, Mr G, to organize most of the postings on this lovely blog but every so often I like to add my contribution.

I was particulary interested by a news item I saw this week as I was peeking at my servant’s i-pad. It came from the Manchester Guardian (or Guardian as it likes to call itself these day.

A very nice lady, Lucy Campbell wrote about a feline friend of mine who became responsible for a major incident on the upper part of Euston Station (a place where trains depart and arrive in the north part of London centre).

My feline friend (who looks a little bit like me, though I was tucked up at home) decided to go walkabout. This was on Tuesday evening. Said cat was spotted within a whisker away from hitching a 125mph ride up th’north. The dear friend was spotted curled up on top of an Avanti West Coast train just half an hour before it was due to depart for Manchester at 9pm . Other cats reading this will know that once a dear pussy cat finds itself causing inconvenience to humans, no amount of persuasion is going to shift them/ us.

The train was therefore taken out of service and a replacement train found. It was then hoped that the cat might be coaxed to alight (with or without ticket).

Passengers detrained to a new train, whilst employees of the railway company encouragd the dear pussy cat to leave her precarious perch, perilously close the the 25,000 volt overhead lines. This took two and a half hours of standoff. It all came to an end when a bin was pulled up beside the carriage, giving the animal a platform on which to disembark.

The feline appeared unbothered as it alighted the train, according to station staff, who described it as “swaggering off” into the night as though it had other places to be.

Naturally it was just resting between two evening engagements.

When I told this story with some glee to one of my servants he reminded me that the safety of the cat was in the end thanks to some good and kind human beings. Despite all the trouble, caused the welfare of the cat was of paramount importance . It should be jolly grateful for the milk of human kindness flowing from them (not that the cat wouldn’t have minded a saucer of the other kind!.)

My servant tells me that this is a heartwarming tale showing humans in a lovely light. It also showed, he says, that many people love animals and will do much to keep them safe and cared for. How lovely that is, he says. The more such kindness flows around our world, what a loving and better place it will be.

Of course, I gave three purrs to that!.