Psalm snippets

Benedictine spirituality is very Psalm orientated. In the Rule of St Benedict the order of the Psalms to be used for different offices on specific days is given. As I walk along I make up songs and sometimes using imagery from my remembered bible, I make up Psalm Snippets. Here are some for today.
This morning on the way across Exmoor to the start point for Day 21 we encountered a family moving their sheep. At the back of the group, the youngest member of the family, a girl of about 8 or 9 years of age, was learning the skill of keeping the sheep moving.

The family of shepherds are like God in their ways :
Encouraging their sheep down the road
To the fields of new grass
They imitate God’s care of me.
Having decided to take the Macmillan Way West the first challenge was the climb up Cotherstone hill. St Agnes Well was near the bottom.

However the way proved to be rather poorly sign posted. Some mountain bikers helped me get on track and I eventually met Bob coming towards me on a path across a field.

At lunchtime I was recumbent under a beech tree in Fyne Court car park. Looking up it seemed to me that:

In the green meadow, so cool and calm,
Every new leaf is like a mini solar panel
Tuned into the energy of the universe
As I long to be tuned into God.

After lunch the second half of the Way wound its way along with the interesting observation that the signs only made sense in the opposite direction from which I was walking. I saw a doe in the wood and earlier heard a Woodpecker drumming.

As the deer searches for cool water,

On a day as hot as this
I too seek the cool shade
And welcome the one who brings me water.
The doe and I continue our searching:
Although the path is poorly marked
I find the right direction.

The car park at the end of Kings Cliff Wood was a welcome haven when it came. Emerging from this quiet green corridor onto the road near North Petherton and then to the M5 to get to our accommodation was like entering a different world. There’s a promise of cooler weather in the next few days. Four hot days often uphill were hard work. I have now passed 200 miles and have only 99 walking days left.
JAL 22.04.2019
Day 21 of the End to End, Bishops Lydeard to Kings Cliff Wood car park