The hardest part of writing a blog at the moment may be how to begin. There is so much good advice, thoughts for inspiration, ways to keep occupied while in solitary, that we are in danger of being completely overwhelmed by well meaning messages. Please don’t misunderstand me, it’s great to see people responding with care and positivity, and we do need to support one another as much as we can from our respective corners. Many of us will have moments of tearfulness, anxiety for ourselves and our close ones, so sharing ideas to fill the days, and offering suggestions is, and will be, needed.
Yesterday emphasised for me how tricky it will become as this is likely to be a long haul. I would not have seen my family in normal times, but the distance between us seemed to demonstrate how much I will miss being with them and seeing the grandchildren develop. Included in one of my cards yesterday was a painting by my youngest granddaughter, who is 2. [see above] She has painted a raspberry [her favourite fruit], a strawberry, and some carrots. It brought a tear. Happily my family called a bit later in the day and we could share some minutes via a video link. That brought a smile.
There are many wonderful, inspiring stories emerging of selfless care and compassion for others. Sadly not, or at least not yet, a universal attitude. However, we live, and must continue to live with hope. It is a universal characteristic of humanity, along with resilience, determination and inventiveness. People have overcome many challenges throughout history, and continue to discover, to explore, to create new ideas. Research and inventiveness continue even as I write. Work to develop vaccines, to find the causes of problems, to better understand the inter-relationship between all living things, will, in time, progress our knowledge, and practical abilities.
Even though the coming weeks and months will not be easy, there is much hope. The atmosphere over some of the worst affected cities are beginning to look less polluted, the balance of nature in some places is already showing signs of recovery from over indulgence by we, the people.
We can still do lots of small things to help our environment. It should not be something we put on hold, because care for our world is bound up in the underlying cause of the current pandemic. Respect for our world and everything in it should be a fundamental approach to the way we live our lives.
So, I hope you will join the call for prayer, and safely put a light in your window each evening. I hope you will continue to support others in the best ways that you can, especially those who are alone and do not use things like social media to obtain encouragement.
Above all, I pray that you may be kept safe. May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.
