I can’t help but wonder and dream about what awaits us on the other side of this Pandemic. What will we have learned? What have I learned …
There is Hope
The Sun is shining as I prepare my thoughts for this week. Already one can feel the growing intensity of it’s warmth and there in lies the promise of Spring. Underneath the ice and snow are seeds germinating, just waiting for the opportunity to break through and bring colour and life back into creation. This is what fills my spirit today – the promise and the hope. The long dreary months of winter, combined with the continued restrictions associated with this Pandemic, are weighing heavy on most, if not all of us. But there is the hope that this too shall pass. As more and more people receive the vaccine we can see a small light beginning to grow. This is what draws my focus and gives me courage to weather the storm. Even in the bleakness of winter there is always new life that comes when hibernation is over.
What I have Learned as a Result of the Pandemic
I can’t help but wonder and dream about what awaits us on the other side of this Pandemic. What will we have learned? How will this time impact the way that we move forward? What possibilities lie within this that will enable new growth to spring forth among us? I don’t know the answers for everyone but I know some of what has come to light for me.
I know that human contact for me, will not be taken for granted as I move forward and I will treasure gathered community in a way that I had not before.
I know that I will embrace and encourage gathering around the table with family and friends and community even more fiercely.
I know that, as a faith family, we will continue an on-line ministry that extends our faith family well beyond the borders of our church building.
I will try to walk more gently upon the earth and cherish each moment of life and breath.
I have also learned that I like a slower pace and my need to work 24/7 has all but disappeared.
I Stand Upon This Earth
by Valerie Peyton Kingsbury
I stand upon the earth
a sojourner in this land
entrusted with its nurture and care.
With the reality of this Holy Mystery around me
I breathe deeply and pause….
I open my being to seek understanding and truth.
May my feet be guided
to walk tenderly upon the earth
with spirit as a light along the way.
As I listen to the voices of the ancestors
May I draw on their wisdom
to speak words of truth
to live a life of love.
With the unfolding of wisdom, come light
Understanding is given
May grace sustain me
May my steps be steady
May freedom be my way
Blessings
Valerie
Thank you for this inspiration today. None of us are immune to the effects of this pandemic and the huge impact it has had on our lives. Many of us have a deeper appreciation for community in various forms. I have deeply appreciated your ministry in various ways for several years now. Thank you for the light you bring to so many situations, Valerie. I’m grateful for the online services, too, when I can see them. I was pleased to read that you have lost your compulsion to work 24/7. Balance in the work life ratio is always a good thing. FEEL my warm cyber hug of appreciation.