Mothers’ Union Devotion Wednesday 9th September 2020

Reflection

Learning and Sharing

Generous God, each of us have developed gifts that you have given to us. May we always be ready to share these gifts in the world around us, that many may be helped to enjoy full and rewarding lives. (Prayer for Wednesday 9 September in Families Worldwide).

As the heading for this week’s daily prayers indicates there are two elements to the prayer for today – Learning and Sharing. Before we can share our gifts, we need to learn what exactly they are. When we compare ourselves to others, it might feel like we do not have any gifts. We may not be particularly academic, or sporty, or artistic. We may even feel that our days of having gifts that can be useful to others are long gone. That is because we tend to look at our gifts through the lens of our consumer-based society.

Look again, however, because lockdown has shown us that when faced with a pandemic virus, it really does not matter if you are a world-famous concert pianist, a top model or a premier league football player. What matters is if you have the gifts to support others through their daily walk of life. What seems like simple gifts, such as the ability to show your kindness and concern over the phone or indeed over the garden fence, can make a real difference. A real difference to those struggling to cope with the constantly changing times of recent months. When faced with shops running out of basic supplies or takeaways being shut, some people struggled but many of you had exactly the gifts that were needed in these times. The ability to use alternative recipes and cook healthier meals on a limited budget or limited access to shops.

It is in the sharing of our gifts of friendship and practical support that we help others to enjoy full and rewarding lives. Through our friendship we can share in a non-pressured way practical tips, such as how to prepare healthy meals on a budget or using alternative ingredients that we may find in the back of our cupboards. We may think it is obvious to share in this way, but for many people who have not enjoyed unconditional love and friendship this is not the case. As Mothers’ Union members, we have a role in teaching people how to share the gift of friendship without expecting anything in return, except of course the most important thing – reciprocal friendship. Because as we have experienced throughout our lives, friendship is the most important gift that we have all received daily from our loving Lord.

With all my love, prayers and friendship

Revd Sandra