I lived in Marden for 14 years and had a base in Kent for 21 years. In that time I grew to love the area and surrounding villages. It was strange to be moving on to pastures new, but it also felt very right. My spirit knew that at the time, and knows it even more so now. As I packed up my house, and with it my memories, I allowed myself some trips down memory lane.

I recalled some fun nights with friends, my wedding day, the birth of all four of my children, the death of my grandparents, all milestones in their own way. But it is the going to glory of gorgeous little Daniel Strawson, the baby boy of close friends that held my attention more than anything else in our final days in Kent. On our last Sunday we sang ‘The Father’s song’ which I sang over Daniel in the intensive care unit at Kings.

His death was such a sad time for us all as a church. Leading worship at his funeral was one of the hardest, and yet most privileged things I have ever had to do, particularly when I saw his ‘Treasure Box’, as his family so beautifully called it, come into the church.

On it they had put a picture of the lion that I had painted for Daniel whilst he was poorly. The lion became a kind of trademark and his family use it now on the website in Daniel’s memory. (http://www.danielstrawson.org.uk)

Daniel’s life was, this side of heaven, very short, and yet it was filled with purpose and promise. As I said goodbye to Kent, I had no regrets. I hope I left something of purpose behind me there and, like Daniel, was a source of inspiration to those I shared myself with.

I pray the same now; that I will be a box of treasure in which people discover something of the Father who made them and longs for eternal relationship with them.