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Good morning.
In one of my churches deep in the Marshwood Vale surrounded by farmland, the majority of the congregation are local farmers and their families have lived there for generations. As their vicar I have had the great privilege of getting to this community and to pray with them in their troubles.

Especially, last summer when one among them, a well respected and much loved member of their congregation had an farming accident.

He was crushed against a gate by a tractor, breaking multiple bones in the lower half of his body. As most farmers are loneworkers, he too was on his own. Somehow he was able to pull his mobile phone from his pocket and dial 999, and then call his family to come and help him.

Where we live, it can be difficult to get around, even if you are very familiar with the country lanes, so the air ambulance was the only way to get help fast and they came, fully equipped with everything the farmer needed.

He was airlifted in their care to a specialist unit in Bristol as we prayed and prayed for his recovery, which was… miraculous. Within a couple of months he was walking unaided and then back on the farm in time for the Harvest. Thank God; and thanks to our emergency services and the NHS.

So today, I pray for the safety of all farmers as they go about their often dangerous work and I thank God for medical teams who attend in emergencies, especially our air ambulances. May the Lord sustain you in your life saving work. Amen.