Common-Unity

Last week I shared some lovely benefits I had witnessed as a result of the Lockdown. If you missed it, here is the link:-

https://sharingsfromsam.blogspot.com/2020/05/be-still-and-wait-well.html

This week I’ve been thinking about my community and how so many people have rallied together to meet the huge need that has been highlighted as a result of the Lockdown. I believe that for many people, they already had this need, but one thing this pandemic has taught us is to think of others, besides ourselves.

The sad truth is that although we may all be enduring the same storm together, we certainly are not all in the same boat experiencing the same level of suffering.

The reality is, that whist some of us with families are still enjoying physical human contact, there are others who are single or alone and can only virtually connect with others. And for those whose love language is touch, this isolation must be extremely painful to bear.

As one who has always believed in a community united by a common goal, where we feed from and serve each other, I believe God has used this opportunity to highlight that we were created for human connection and not to live life in isolation.

Yes, there are daily times and seasons in our lives when we should spend some alone time with God, but the purpose of those times is to recharge and refuel from His source, in order to continue being the hands and feet of God, as we serve our community.

Whilst I have enjoyed my Zoom and video church sermons, one thing I have missed is taking Holy Communion together. To me and my Church, this is more than just sharing the elements in remembrance of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we use the example of the Last Supper, communion should be enjoyed as part of a meal together; a union of coming together as a community to share a meal together and using bread and wine or grape juice as part of the meal to remember Jesus’s blood that was shed for us and His body that was broken for us.

The Latin root of communion is communionem, meaning fellowship, mutual participation, or sharing, ie something done together, and not alone.

So whilst we prepare for the end of our Lockdown, if you are not already serving in some way, can I challenge you to give a thought to your community and how you can become a part of it to serve and be served in it? If you have ever asked yourself if there is more to life than this, then this is it...

Yes, it will take time, effort and sacrifice, but when we answer the call to become God’s hands and feet in our community, the rewards and benefits are eternal and satisfying, and the opportunities to do so are endless...

Be Still and Wait Well

Whilst we continue to wait in limbo, not knowing when our challenging lockdown restriction will end, we can either grumble and complain, or we can choose to have faith and trust blindly as we wait. It may not make sense, and we definitely don't need to like it, but it is what it is...

There is a lot in the media suggesting conspiracy theories and political sabotage, but whatever the truth is, we still need to do what we have been told to, even if it makes no sense or logic.  If we truly believe that God is in control of everything, then we can also trust that our President was elected by His authority, and God instructs us to honour and obey Him, even when we disagree.

Having faith is to be truly convinced in what we believe and in knowing that our future is secure in God's hands.  We don't need to know when the lockdown will end. All we need to do is to take one day at a time and choose and decide to wait well.

Instead of focusing on what freedoms we have lost or argue about what is and isn't an essential service or product, or what enjoyment or vice has been banned, we can instead give a thought to what this lockdown is teaching us.  

For me, my heart is filled with hope at the positive changes that have come about as a result of this pandemic and lockdown. As I share some of these below, may they resonate with you and encourage your heart with hope:-

• I see strangers in need of human connection, who are so much more friendly towards each other. 
• I see neighbours reaching out and caring for each another. 
• I see shoppers more patient to stand in long queues, without complaining.
• I see people who have never given a thought to the poor before, respond generously to the great need in our communities.
• I see churches living out their faith amongst each other, instead of inside a building.
• I am learning body language by identifying a smile behind a mask.
• My relationships with my husband and daughter are being refined, through our constant intimacy. Like being thrown into a pressure cooker, the steam is softening our hearts and making us more tender hearted. 
• I am learning to find contentment and approval from God and nature, instead of from people. 
• I have marvelled at everyone's colourful and creative handmade masks. 
• I have discovered empathy for Muslim women who are forced to wear burkas and with doctors who need to wear masks during long surgeries. 

So today, I challenge you to change your perspective and to be still, knowing that God is carrying us through these difficult and uncomfortable times, and using it to change and mould our hearts.  There is great strength in remaining hopeful and history has taught us that no matter how bleak things may seem, this too shall pass... 

Mother's Day Musings

In honour of all the perfectly imperfect Mothers around the world, who celebrated Mothers Day on Sunday, like South Africa, I hope that these musings will leave you feeling encouraged and proud to be a Mom...

I woke up on Sunday to a beautifully, heartfelt digitally made e-card from my teenage daughter. It made me smile knowing that only a few days before, we were each other's worst enemy. Although I didn't get any breakfast in bed, her expressions of love and gratefulness meant a lot.

The truth is that loving a teenager can often be hard, and although it is suppose to be unconditional, there are still days when she pushes my buttons a bit too deep, that I fantasise about running away or God forbid, strangling her in frustration.

Thankfully, it is with God's grace that I get a new opportunity each morning to try and be a better Mother, and on days when I fail miserably, He also gives me the strength and courage to apologise and to try again. Note that I said better and not best, as I don't believe we could ever do this job perfectly, because in reality, we are only human.

And whilst there may be many Super-moms out their raising their team of kids, who make the job look easy and effortless, there are just as many of us who struggle and sometimes even question God's wisdom in making us Mothers in the first place, or giving us the children He did. To those moms, I urge you not to compare yourself or allow guilt and condemnation to down play the amazing job that God has entrusted you with.

We can only set ourselves free from these negative feelings, when we realise that Gods's plan for Motherhood was for it to refine us and make us a little bit more like Jesus, and our specific child or children were carefully chosen just for us, for this very purpose.

One of the fears I have as a Mother, is that I have not raised my daughter well enough to be a well-adjusted, functional, responsible, good person adult. That how she turns out will be a reflection of all my failed moments that will come back to haunt me with blame and shame, But God is so good at offering me hope every now and again, giving me a glimpse of her unique, specialness that shines into my heart, to melt these fears.

So as we continue this tug of war between independence and support, I am learning to trust God in the process. I seek ways to rejoice in my daughters strengths, build her confidence, character and integrity, whilst ensuring she is well fed and holistically healthy. I accept the fact that I don't always get it right, and that one day she may end up on a therapist's couch and moan about all the mistakes we made raising her. Or she may one day remember our good bonding moments like this Lockdown Mothers Day, of snuggling together on the couch, enjoying delicious snacks, whist crying hopelessly through our binge watching of our favourite TV show, Greys Anatomy, and feeling strangely unified in our mask-wearing...

Freedom

On Monday, the 27 April, South Africa celebrated ‘Freedom Day’, which is when we commemorate our first post-apartheid elections held in 1994. It seemed ironic to be celebrating ‘freedom’ during the Lockdown, while the freedom of our movements were restricted, with many of us feeling imprisoned in our own homes. But it got me thinking about what freedom really means... 

Whilst freedom can certainly be a physical thing, there are so many other kinds of freedom that are still worth celebrating.

One of my favourite films ‘Amistad’ tells the moving story of West African slaves in 1839, who fought for their freedom and won. They knew what it was like to be shackled as slaves, and cried out in desperation to be emancipated and set free.

Whilst most people today aren’t physically bound, unless maybe in prison, true liberation from spiritual bondage still eludes many. In John 8:36 we are given the wonderful promise, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” For those who have experienced the liberation of this kind of freedom (from sin, guilt, fear, shame, addiction, etc) this is certainly worthy of our praise and something to be celebrated and not taken for granted.

Jesus is our source of true emancipation and He offers forgiveness and freedom to anyone who believes in Him. He longingly awaits the cries of those who are shackled by unbelief, fear or failure.

Freedom is a matter of the heart and a state of mind. Even when Paul was physically bound in prison, he still maintained an attitude of freedom, and so can we.

Whilst the Lockdown may have curtailed our movement, it has certainly not silenced our voice, it has not stopped our imagination and it has not banned our learning or restricted our growth.

What freedoms do you enjoy that are worth celebrating? What areas in your life are in bondage that you need Jesus to free you from today?