When I was pondering what I would write about last week I was thinking about blankets. At the time I was walking with heavy steps along my street, fighting against a horrible sense of fatigue. Quite often, when I try to explain fatigue I talk about having a wet woollen blanket dropped over my head, my shoulders, my arms and legs.

Thankfully, I’m not going to dwell on that horrible image today.

Not long after that misguided, terrible decision to tell you all about fatigue, something lovely happened. I was sitting in my armchair with a cosy blanket over my knees. The sun was drawing bright lines across the room and my dog was seeking out the best spot for her morning doze. Very gently, without me even noticing, she lay down on the edge of the fleecy cover. I didn’t ever want to stand up and wreck the comfort she was unintentionally bringing both to herself and to me.

Whenever times are hard, we need to be more like my dog Hazel; looking in every corner for a tiny scrap of comfort and luxuriating in it. Every time something that I used to take for granted appears in my day, I feel an overwhelming, joyful rush of gratitude. Now, sitting out in the cold but sunny garden with my parents makes me so so happy. Hours later, I still feel the edge of that happiness. I’m blogging about it to make it last even longer!

Interestingly, the Ruth of the Bible also sought out the edge of a blanket and it changed her life. When she lay at Boaz’s feet, she asked him to take her ‘under your protecting wing’ (Ruth 3v9, The Message).

There are two thoughts here: learn to luxuriate in the little things, and, share them with someone else.

You never know, that insignificant act might change a life!