I’ve managed to just sneak in a holiday. It was a holiday that even three days before it began I was unsure it would happen. It was a holiday where I could only see most of my family in almost chance meetings outside trainer shops and gin shops and on very wet walks. It was a holiday of rest and peace full of glorious views and a plethora of rainbows reminding me again and again that this dark cloud hovering will one day disperse and be replaced with the glorious technicolour of life lived in all its fullness.
Much of my holiday was spent in internet silence with the continuous news cycle replaced by homes under the hammer and Australian traffic police stopping repentant scantily clothed male drivers for not wearing their seatbelts. Whilst the threat of a virus that destroys, divides and conquers was always there in the attempts to escape the shelf emptying shoppers and in the underlying anxiety of facing the unholiday ahead there were moments in the plot line we simply forgot. In our damp cottage surrounded by 1.5 miles of silence we were able to hide from the reality of the story that bites.
Then in a pause on the journey we waited two and a half hours for the promised press conference and then a little while longer as the graphs that normally fascinate got in the way of the news we wanted to but didn’t want to know.
Another month and more of hiding, of locking ourselves away, of relying on the internet for all we try and be..... it was not a surprise and I’m quite relieved that some decisions have been taken out of my hands and I’m not angry or upset, just resigned and frustrated as we face uncertainty about endings and trudge into November ready to bed in for the winter. I’m glad it’s come after a pause because the privilege of a pause will help me face it more easily.
So how do we face this period of gloom ahead? Here are some thoughts.....
Love. Don’t forget the signs of hope in community that we first saw in March. Don’t forget the neighbour you reached out to, the one who reached out to you. Don’t forget to love.
Pray. This lockdown is not the same because the schools and colleges and universities are back and teachers and support staff are facing the next month with fear and uncertainty. Pray for them as they are unable to close the door and hide and put themselves in danger each day. Pray for our NHS and all frontline workers. Pray prayers of protection over one another. Don’t forget to pray.
Give. The emergency support that was available in March is simply not there anymore. Charities and churches and councils are running out of money. Give time - volunteer to help the community. Give space to listen to those who are struggling. Give resources - people still need food and clothes and hope. Don’t forget to give.
Hide. Having no internet or rolling news is a blessing. It helped me face what I didn’t know about with calmness and less worry. Winter is a time for getting out favourite films and blankets and just being. Don’t feel guilty if most evenings are simply that. Give yourself a break. Bed in. Cry. Lament. Don’t forget to hide when you need to.
Look beyond. Hope. There is more than this. My holiday rainbows reminded me of that. Hold onto hope of more and better because knowing that this dark cloud will be replaced by life in all its fulness is what will keep us stepping onward in our darkest days. Don’t forget to look beyond.
“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying”. Romans 12:9-12 NLT
