A day for saying thank you

I had some post today which made me smile.

This is the sum total of the writing on a postcard I received from S, my friend and professional associate. It accompanied a cheque in payment for some work that I'd done for him - only S would send a thank you note when he is sending me money. :-)

Then I went to church to say a slightly teary thank you for the life of Linda. Linda was a wonderful, courageous wife, mother, grandmother and friend whose warm smile will be my abiding memory of her. The service was beautiful - spoke with great affection of her and the faith that sustained her as she fought her illness.

One of the hymns we sang has these lines which always make my spine tingle. And I could almost feel Linda singing them in confidence, at the top of her voice:


No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.