I have no control over the order these images come up onto the blog ! Unfortunate or fortuitous ??
Well, in fact although I had hoped my painting of the beautiful magnolia blossom shining in the morning sunshine against a dark hedge would ome first... even so, I really like the Banksy painting of the child wishing she could fly up and over these awful imprisoning walls built all over Israel... and the photo of the young child praying at the "Wailing Wall " in Jerusalem (found on the internet / apologies to the unknown photographer )... they both remind me of news stories I have read recently of children suffering trauma... and my own childhood trauma, making me realise how many years this memory lives on in our minds : for I am now an octogenarian and still not only remember, but sadly have been affected all these years by early childhood memories :{
Maybe its a good thing to have these images in the order they have arrived on this page ? After all, the signs of hope are clearly there... and constantly noticing the beauty all around us at springtime always reminds me of the amazingly creative world we live in... just look at the next magnolia tree you come across... what do you see ? its buds like candles against a dark hedge or deep blue sky ? Or its magnificent blossoms opening to the sunlight ? or something else ?
I have just been reading in more detail about Goma, D R Congo, and I find reading the news from places like the Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine and particularly of vulnerable children, very difficult... but then I constantly look for small signs of hope, remembering miraculous ways in which God has brought new life and hope to me... and being very thankful whenever I see daffodils, magnolia and cherry blossom... hold on to the joy and hope of springtime :} even when wanting to join that child crying at the wailing wall !
