Who would have imagined it? A tiny virus bringing the planet to their knees?

On 20th March 2020, we were sent home, with the message that we would be working remotely. None of us had the slightest inkling of an idea what an impact that message would have

So many have pointed fingers, and criticised. First, the Chinese, then each government in turn. They didn’t act soon enough, or they didn’t do enough. Now it’s we want to open everything up again, and get back to normal

What, now, is normal? Is it obsessive hand washing, people scared to touch their faces? Wearing masks in shops, and running a mile instead of chatting to friends? Playing the guess who it is under the mask game?

In the end, none of it really matters. Yes, I want to get back to work, and yes, I want my routine back. I want to be able to walk into a church, and if I feel like it, sit next to a friend. I want to be able to walk in there without a mask, without test and trace, and without being told I can’t even sit and reflect after communion.

There are some positives though. None of us would consider ourselves to be antisocial, but in our everyday lives, how many of us talk to our neighbours? Mainly because we work full time and we just don’t see each other

This is the second spring with us working from home. We have the time to gaze out into our gardens, watching the blackbird having a wash in the bird bath, or gathering nesting material. We see horses, with riders, going past the front window. There are stables not far from us, so it’s not an unusual sight. Watching the sparrows have a dust bath, or squabble as they bounce around in the trees in the front garden.

When we have the chance to look back, after this is all over, what will we remember? Will it be the anxious times, sitting watching the Prime Minister urging us to stay at home and protect the NHS? Or will it be the delights of nature?

I suspect it will be both

Either way, the Lord is still here, ever present, ever loving. The cross of love has always been constant, no matter the human landscape changing and evolving in front of it. Christ’s sacrifice was for all time, and His love ever with us.

I know I am struggling, nights are disturbed and restless, and days seem to vary in length, quite an achievement when I know they’re all the same length. I am also sure I’m not the only one.

All I know is that the cross is always there, God is a constant presence, and no matter our trials and tribulations, no matter how we feel, good or bad, we are loved, and really when it comes down to it

That’s all that matters!