And I’m Grateful

Yesterday was a good day.

We drove to Lowestoft station and caught the 07.50 train to London. We have senior citizen’s railcards. I enjoy trains – no driving, traffic jams, M25, or London parking. We arrived back in Lowestoft at 21.45. All of the trains were on time, clean, comfortable, easy… And I’m grateful.

Whilst travelling I read. I’m still enjoying Marilynne Robinson’s ‘Gilead’. I identify with John Ames whose faults ‘…which would have been forgiven first on the grounds of youth and then on the grounds of eccentricity, are now being forgiven on grounds of senility…’ I enjoy books and reading… And I’m grateful.

On the train we chatted to a gent who works for a charity that provides for injured and disabled veterans of the East Anglian Regiment… I appreciated again… that I came through my career unscathed… that I’m fit enough to walk around London… seeing the sights and hearing the sounds of London… I don’t take these things for granted… And I’m grateful.

We went to see ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at Shakespeare’s ‘Globe Theatre’. There were a number of school parties there. I enjoyed seeing good teachers managing their students well… teenagers behaving well, enjoying good theatre, totally absorbed in the play. I’ve done my share of school trips as a teacher; I didn’t have that responsibility yesterday… And I’m grateful.

We enjoyed the experience of The Globe… theatre in the open air on a fine day. We enjoyed ‘Much Ado’ – we’d not seen it before. We appreciated 5 ladies who played their accordions throughout the show(!) We enjoyed excellent actors, audience involvement, an entertaining plot, skilful direction, Shakespeare’s skill with words… And I’m grateful.

We appreciated Shakespearean comedy… convoluted plots, mistaken identity, the trials of love, things going wrong… but all resolved in the end with weddings and great happiness… Musing on the Christian narrative and my Christian faith… that despite complications, difficulties and problems there is hope, grace, forgiveness, and resolution… And I’m grateful.