Today’s ‘Guest Writer’ is Janet
Pray ~ Trust ~ Wait
(reflections on a year of Covid)
When Covid19 caused the first lock-down we were scared, confused and didn’t really think it was going to last as long as it has. The weather was nice, just coming into spring and some people treated lock-down as a holiday. They didn’t realise how fast the number of deaths being reported were rising so rapidly every day.
Read: Ecclesiastes chapter 3: verses 1-15
Everything that happens in this world is known about by God – from birth to death, from seedtime to harvest.
Covid19 caused us to stop meeting together, which meant that we missed the usual events of Holy Week and Easter. It had never been known before, even during the war the church buildings were open. Many annual events in the church calendar were missed this year… and it was hard not having fellowship.
As it was spring-time, a time for new life I concentrated on my garden – planting waiting, watching – my nurturing skills took hold. The weather was good, we could go out walking and meeting in gardens and parks, but we couldn’t worship together as church.
I kept a close eye on next-door’s tall tree, it matched a lot of my moods and thoughts – sounds silly – but when you are on your own you seem to focus on different things, mine was this tree... it blew in different directions just like my emotions, but it also stood firm. It attracted new life, birds building nests, squirrels running up and down (so funny to watch), the leaves grew denser and the nests were hid from sight and withstood the storms (just like us); I watched the fledglings fly – and so did my cat (I hate to say it but she did have some… a time to live and a time to die…).
A good thing which came out of lockdown was that families had more time together; there was more community spirit; cleaner air; less pollution and a fresh appreciation of what was important in our lives. Each week standing on our doorsteps clapping the nurses and doctors. Life was different… “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven:”
Then lockdown eased but with certain restrictions still in place, still no meeting together for worship and I was missing it more and more… I would sit in the garden, in the shade of next-door’s tree reading and my attention was grabbed by Philippians ch.2: 1 (Good News Bible)
“Your life in Christ makes you strong and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit…”
How good that made me feel. Then news came that we could gather together and worship, not as we knew it, but a new way of worshipping together and it worked out okay until the recent second lock-down…
This lock-down seemed to tear at the heart and soul of everyone. Everyone was feeling more isolated, as once again we were separated from family and friends. I felt like my closeness with God was slipping away.
The sun was shining, I went outside to tidy the garden, the tree, my tree was stripped of its leaves, I can see the abandoned nests. The squirrels had started to dig up the bulbs I had planted. I start to pull up the dead plants. “a time for planting and a time for pulling up…”
My tree stands, bare of all its leaves, but still looking tall and proud, having given birds a living space for summer and I though about ‘God our protector.’ Read: Psalm 91: 1-4
So, through this second, harder lock-down we have worn the ‘Armour of God’ Ephesians 6: 10-18
The belt of truth. The breastplate of righteousness. The shoes announcing God’s Good News of peace. The Shield of faith - with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One. The Helmet of salvation and the Sword – God word which the Spirit gives us.
Lock-down eased in the 2nd December, and so we can meet together again as we look forward to celebrating the birth of our Saviour. We can rejoice together even with our masks on. Thank you, Lord…
Through it all God wanted me to learn to Pray, Trust, Wait - Janet
Come to our Christmas gathering - book a place by text or email:
Sunday 20th 4:00pm – singing carols outside the Parish Church (St. John the Baptist)
Christmas Eve 4:00pm - singing carols outside our church building, by our Christmas tree
Christmas Day 10:00am – Inside the church building
Stephen – turvesgreenbaptists@gmail.com / 07456 826 326