I suspect that many of you find yourselves now at home, alone or with your loved ones. It may feel somewhat alarming and overwhelming just now, times scales are to say the least fluid and there is really no way to know how long we may have to socially distance ourselves. My son Ben and I have begun our “at home”time today. We have food, cleaning materials, and a safe, comfortable home (with a balcony if the weather decides to be kind.) We also have a vast amount of craft and journaling supplies, board games, jigsaws, books, colouring books, DVDs and our iPads. More importantly we have our Bibles and we have time, time to read our Bibles together,,,,,to pray together and to create together.
I have some friends who are finding joy in having the time to deep clean/spring clean their homes, decluttering, tidying cupboards, shredding old paperwork. I have to confess that domestic goddess I am not, housework is not a pleasure, merely a recurring necessity.
For many people, used to the hustle and bustle and challenges of going to work suddenly being confined to their homes, alone or with their families is going to be hard. The daily structure and demands are not there, the conversations and banter are not there, suddenly they are faced with seemingly endless amounts of time. Also, for many alongside the understandable anxiety and concerns raised by this horrible virus they have the additional worry about their finances being overstretched.
It’s now that we as Christians need to look for the blessings, how many of us would have loved the opportunity to go on a retreat, to be able to “Be still” to sit at the the feet of Jesus, to wait on God or spend time with the Holy Spirit. Well, now we can! We can listen to worship music, we can read our Bibles more and immerse ourselves in the promises of God, we can journal; our thoughts and concerns and the promises we are standing on. You can tell Bible stories to your children, or get them to tell them to you, you can journal or illustrate them as a family. You can really travel through Holy Week with Jesus, reflecting on the events of that first Easter. Perhaps you could begin a blessings book or kilner jar where everyone contributes one thought every day, and a prayer journal where you write down your prayers over the coming days, weeks,who knows,even months. Won’t it be great to look back at them when the world goes back to normal.
I’m not for one moment suggesting it will be easy, and though Ben and I have enjoyed our first home dayI know there will be days when we get on each other’s nerves, and when we are not as kind or patient as we should be. This is the time when social media could really show us its positive side, keeping us in touch, sharing our down times and our encouragements, reminding Us that we are the sons and daughters of the King, God is our Heavenly Father and He loves us and He knows our strengths and our weaknesses and our needs. God is still in control, God is sovereign, as we wash our hands instead of singing happy birthday lets say the Lord’s Prayer out loud.
The Salvation Army has initiated a wave of prayer at 12:00 noon every day, calling us to put our hands together in prayer, like the hands on the clock. It suggests we read aloud Psalm 91, claiming God’s protection over His world and His children. Ben and I did this this morning too, we went and sat in each landing in our apartment complex and rayed for the residents and all the staff, then we read Psalm 91 over each floor. We’re going to do this at least once a week.
I wonder whether any of you are up for a little challenge, let’s journal through Psalm 91 and share our creations to encourage and uplift one another. Ben and I will have a go, and share our thoughts, it would be great if some of you do too, especially family efforts! Take care all, sending love and prayers,
Jane and Ben
Fabulous, Jane and Ben.....I am going to get my bible out and start praying psalm 91 today....xxxx
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