I live in a town but frequently drive through or walk through the countryside. And friends grow fruit and veg, and at the moment have more than enough to share! So that makes me aware that harvest time is here.

It has made me think of Louis Armstrong’s fantastic song ‘What a Wonderful World’. Here are the lyrics (go on, have a sing!)

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They’re really saying I love you

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more than I’ll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world

I wonder what you would include in your own version of these lyrics? What do you see that – even on an average kind of day – makes you thankful? I bet it is the simpler things in life, things that are more valuable than money can ever buy.

I am leading a Harvest service in a few weeks. We will listen to this song and reflect on what makes it a wonderful world for each of us. And we will be thankful. We will go on to reflect on the Maker of All Things who is good. And we will be thankful.

This is Mindful Monday on 10 September 2018.

Dates available shortly for Essence Cheltenham mindfulness gatherings this autumn!