WALKING on the hills this afternoon, those lovely lines from the psalm came into my mind: "I Lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence shall come my help," and I couldn't help reflecting how lucky I was to be able to walk and enjoy the glorious countryside.

I thought too, of how important it is for us all to have some leisure time to ourselves, time just perhaps to stand and stare.

For it is often in those peaceful moments, sometimes snatched in the midst of a busy life, that it is possible to regain a sense of proportion. To sort out quietly our real priorities, and to discover once more how so many of the most precious and beautiful moments in life come to us quite free of charge: Simply gifts from God who, we are told, when he looked at his creation, saw that it was good.

Fr Raphael Appleby, St Joseph's, Newtown Road, Malvern.