To accompany Sunday’s brunch psalm this week each plate was adorned with a tiny sheep.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff– they comfort me.

Psalm 23

I had high hopes of each of us connecting spiritually on a deep and meaningful level, but instead certain members of the family started sheep flinging.

My immediate response was to look disdainfully upon this action, but then I paused for just a moment to realise that actually everyone except me was smiling. The family, the whole family, was having fun together. This wasn’t what I had planned, but didn’t Jesus come in order that we might have life in all its fullness? Isn’t joy a Spiritual gift?

I could frown at my family’s shenanigans or I could smile and join in.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, but lately life has been wanting joy. Lockdown and pandemic life has brought hardships for everyone. There have been changes and difficulties in education which the children have just taken on the chin, even through GCSE year. I may be the one who has been made redundant, but we are all having to move home. A beloved member of the family has been in hospital for several weeks and recovery will be long and slow. In this silly moment of sheep flinging our souls were being restored.

So, I picked up my sheep and flung it. I joined in the game of trying to get the sheep into the lampshade. As a family we had fun together. Joy and laughter. The Lord had indeed brought us all that we needed, and I had almost missed it.