Kia tau te rangimarie ki a koutou
It has been a challenge over these last few weeks to remember what we can and cannot do at various alert levels, and the last few weeks with Auckland at Level Three and the rest of the country at Level Two has added to the confusion.
It has been hard going, events have been postponed – sometimes more than once; family gatherings which have been long looked forward to have been postponed or cancelled; people have lost their jobs and their businesses, and deep anxiety about the future has arisen. These are strange and challenging times for everyone.
These challenges are all over the world, and in most cases they are much worse than we are facing in New Zealand. However, here in New Zealand we are anxious about not putting ourselves or anyone else in danger. We are all trying to be careful not to take any risks and we are looking for any ways we can stop the spread of the virus.
With anxieties, challenges and questions we might find it hard to pray, but even in the midst of Covid19 and what it is doing to us there is the chance to find God in new ways, to touch the depths of who we are and to seeks ways to rekindle the fire in our souls. Remember this – we do not have to look for the extraordinary and sensational, the simple gifts of God are all around us, even in this time of pandemic.
Take the time to look around, find grace in the present moment, allow the simple everyday things and events of life – the people you see every day, to bless you – let everything nourish and inspire you, they are gifts of God. See the holy in the ordinary and you will be greatly and deeply blessed.
Even amidst the challenges and anxieties, the changes and the questions, bring the longings of your heart to the present moment and find the grace that waits for you there. With sincere thanks for all that everyone is doing.
Every blessing. Naku noa + John