Ne’er cast a clout until May is out. That is a saying my mum used to say each year. I took it to mean that I had to keep wearing my liberty bodice until the end of May. Only women of a certain age will know what a liberty bodice is! What it meant was that the weather wasn’t reliable until after May. My mum had lots of these sayings as I guess most people’s mums did. “A stitch in time saves nine.” advises that taking care of problems early can prevent them from worsening. Again, a true statement even if it can be difficult to follow. I sometimes think if I don’t do anything the problem will disappear. Another popular one is “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” this suggests that eating healthily can prevent illness. Good words but can you class chocolate and cake as healthy? If not, I don’t like that saying. “If you sit too close to the TV you’ll go blind.” This is not true, but how many times did you hear that? There is no end to these sayings often said by our mums and probably we have used to our children and others. Jesus was doing a similar thing when he was telling parables. Again, most of us have our favourites. One of the most recognised parables is “The Good Samaritan” We hear how the people who should have helped walked by, but a Samaritan who was deemed to be an enemy, went out of his way to help. The Samaritan illustrates that true neighbourliness extends beyond familiar circles to encompass those often seen as outsiders. Another well-known parable is “The Mustard Seed” this tells us how a tiny seed can grow to be a substantial tree. It’s a reminder that, despite challenges or difficulties, even a small, unwavering faith can lead to extraordinary outcomes in alignment with God’s will. “The Lost Sheep” is a favourite of mine. It states that a farmer leaves 99 sheep to search for the one sheep that is lost. It is a powerful reminder of God’s love, his active pursuit of those who have strayed, and the value he places on everyone, especially those considered the least in society. Parables and sayings have been around for ever and we continue to use them, but I personally will try to avoid any about liberty bodices
My book choice for this month is The Garden of Memories by Amanda James. This is a gentle light read about the healing properties a garden.
God Bless
Maureen Kendall