As we almost hit a week of lockdown, I don’t know about you but I remember a brighter day. I remember when we could go out and high five each other. I remember when we could go for walks and hug each other. I remember when if you sneezed or coughed people said bless you or asked if you were ok. Unfortunately those days seem so far away and the anxiety of wondering if we will see those days again soon is beginning to kick in for many. There’s something about remembering what was that has incredible impact on us to hope or not hope for better days in the future. Remembering bad days can bring pain, frustration, anger, shame and all kinds of negative feelings. However remembering good days can bring joy, hope, excitement, faith and all kinds of positive feelings.

Today I want to encourage you to remember good days and good moments, but in the face of uncertainty and not having access to normality, I want to encourage you to remember your blessings. To remember what you do have. To remember you are still waking up every morning, the good health you currently have, the roof over your head and the family close by. Remember that you are able to breathe, to walk and run. Remember you can eat and drink and be merry. Remember the facilities you have in your home and the access you have to people via technology.

There are so many blessings we still have although our movement and freedom may be restricted. In this season we are realising how much we may have taken our movement and freedom for granted. Let’s not now take everything else for granted too. Let’s not take our time for granted and wish away the weeks and months ahead. This is time we won’t get back so let’s invest it in being better after lockdown. Let’s invest it in to not being the same way we came into this. May we develop ourselves. May our empathy grow, may we become more self aware and selfless, may we become more vulnerable with others so we can inspire and support one another.

Charles Spurgeon who lived in the 1800s and is widely known as the Prince of Preachers said.

“We are too prone to engrave our trials in marble and write our blessings in sand.”

This is a trial, that we are all facing together. This will pass, and yes life will look different, but, it will pass. Let’s not write this in marble, and let’s not write our blessings in sand. Let us instead fix our eyes and focus on what we do have, what is good, lovely, praiseworthy and of good report. Let us remember about the trials we have gone through and overcome before as individuals and the human race. Let us remember that the fact I am writing this and you are reading this means that we are living in some incredible times, let’s not take technology and what we have access to for granted. Let us remember we are strong, powerful people, made in the image of God and we are still here. So if you are feeling weak in this season or struggling to get through each day, I want to encourage you with one of my favourite quotes from the movie remake of Robin Hood with Russel Crowe and more importantly one of the most powerful verses in the Bible.

“Rise and rise again until lambs become lions”

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:19-23 NIV

Love, peace and Chicken wings

MD