It’s been a hectic few months. Frenetic might be a better word. Head-spinning, even.
My daughter has just started her GSCE exams. My son is doing his final year on his degree,
my husband’s book that he’s writing is about to be published, I am still adjusting to full time
work after being part time. Throw in the usual life stuff of illnesses, various worries and the
general state of the world. Then I decide to go and start up a whole new community.
As I said, frenetic.
The irony is not lost on me. Here I am, hoping to provide a space for people to breathe and
be part of nature. Maybe to connect to something sacred, something more than themselves.
Maybe to connect with each other, to put their busy lives to one side for a moment. And I am
frazzled…
It was always going to be like this at first. Setting up Forest Church means getting a certain
amount of ducks in order. Policies, insurance, risk assessments, budgets etc etc. All
important and necessary stuff. But now that’s pretty much done, I need to pause myself, not
just help other people to do it.
That timely reminder came in the form of a little beetle. I still don’t know what variety it is, it
was colourful, but not a Tansy Beetle. York is famous for those and it wasn’t that. Maybe
something like this, which is a Rosemary Beetle. We do have Rosemary in the Community
Garden where we hold our Forest Church. I have no real idea anyway (and now I’m
rambling), so I am just going to call her Gertie..
So there I was, at the very first Forest Church. Everyone had arrived and helped themselves
to a drink. The sun was shining and people had been chatting away to each other. The team
had been introduced and we talked about the theme. Today was about the importance of
finding the ‘wow’ – those things in nature or in our lives that make us stop in our tracks and
forget everything, even if just for a moment.
We’d had a beautiful breathing and ‘centring’ moment, making everyone pause and prepare
to go into the garden space. Everyone had gone off to wander, to do some simple activities
to help them reflect, wonder, reflect, pray, to reconnect.
And there was I, sitting to do a bit of necessary admin and looking after folk, feeling a little
frustrated because I wanted to be in the garden. I looked down from my phone and there
was Gertie, with a very determined march directly towards me. I’ve always loved the way
nature ‘speaks’ to me and teaches me and here was a tiny beetle that seemed to be saying
“Well, if you can’t come to nature, I will come to you!”. So even amongst the busy-ness,
nature finds a way in, a way to surprise you and make you say ‘wow’.
I grinned down at her, then joined everyone else in the garden.
Thanks Gertie.