Well, the rain dancing worked!

We have been treated to everything from short, sharp bursts of rain to long, thunderous showers. I think I can even feel the relief of my garden fauna as, finally, they get hydrated with water from above rather than my dirty dishwater!

The back and forth of sunshine-filled days and cooler, Autumn-like mornings is now quite obvious, and these rains have brought out snails in mass abundance, almost like an end-of-summer party. Glad of the rainwater to clean off their dry shells, they are now able to travel along smoother, wetter paths, seeking out food and breeding opportunities. They can lay their eggs in the moist soil and fill up on sustenance before the cooler seasons begin in earnest.

The humble garden snail. What a fascinating creature.

These little molluscs are hermaphrodites, meaning they possess both male and female reproductive organs, quite an evolutionary leap! When two snails mate, both may go on to lay eggs!

We have so many jokes about their speed: snail mail, moving at a snail’s pace. And yet, in their world, it simply works!

They carry their heavy shells wherever they go, providing protection for their soft bodies, and that ‘delightful’ tell-tale silvery slime they leave behind serves many purposes. It helps them move, retain moisture and navigate their little world, but producing it comes with a high energy cost.

And so, as you return home on a wetter day, tread carefully along your path. Somewhere beneath your feet, a humble little snail is probably travelling from A to B, and it may take a while…He/she is in no rush. And perhaps, as we watch these creatures move through our damp gardens, we might take a moment to slow down ourselves. What a thought! We protest and insist that the world calls us here and there.. but may we remember, whatever we are travelling to…Home has always been right where we are, at this moment.

And I am sure The Family felt ‘home’ as usual last night in Chawton. Unfortunately Vanessa Smallwood was unable to be with us, but our own Steve answered the phone on a Sunday, and so he was the appointed one!

Steve did such a great job bringing a lovely address about St Francis of Assisi. I think we all learnt a few things, and we know our family is packed with animal lovers, and then Steve went on to bring many messages. Thanks so much Steve for giving us such a good night. Our evening was chaired by Alison. Thank you.

There were beautiful prayers and readings from the family. Cake with cherries. Thank you Carole! We are indeed spoilt. And then good conversation, washing it all down with not just tea and coffee, but with healing to give us a good night’s sleep. Thank you also Julie for running our music. Thank you all for the set up and breakdown of the evening.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray for Nepal and the horrific flooding. So much devastation and loss of not just human life, but animal life also. Please let us pray that aid can increase, and that healing is in sight.

Have a beautiful week! More sun is scheduled apparently, but we know that Autumn is now just around the corner…