Lillies and Sparrows

Sue’s Views
Another positive from being in lockdown is learning to be content with what you have. We’ve learned to make do with what’s in our wardrobe or pantry. And we’ve discovered that ….. with a bit of imagination ….. we can create a new look or a new recipe! Jesus said ‘Don’t worry about what you will eat or what you will wear ….. because your Heavenly Father knows what you need.’ He pointed out the lillies and sparrows ….. neither of which earn money or go shopping ….. and yet they are well looked after. How much more does He care for us?

The Little Things

Sue’s Views
As we spend our last day at level 4 ….. what are you looking forward to the most? Probably being able to get takeaways? One thing lockdown does is make us thankful for the things we used to take for granted! Going shopping used to be a necessary chore ….. but is now a highlight of my week! My daily walk has made me even more amazed at the beauty of nature. Texts and messages are also something I cherish. No doubt we will soon be back into our overly busy schedules ….. so take a moment to breathe and say Thank You for the little things.

Overcoming Overwhelm

Sue’s Views
Ps Amy Morenko shared an amazing word with us yesterday about overcoming overwhelm. We are probably all struggling with feeling overwhelmed by all that’s going on to some extent. But ….. as she said ….. it’s our thoughts that overwhelm us more than our circumstances. They will always take us downwards! They take us on a journey of ‘what ifs’ ….. and lead to anxiety ….. fear ….. and depression. If we can get a hold of that ….. we can ‘reroute’ our thought journey. By focussing on what is true ….. lovely ….. pure and just ….. we can renew our minds and the way we think. King David prayed ‘When my heart is overwhelmed ….. lead me to the Rock who is higher than I’. His thoughts are always higher than ours.

Free to live right

Sue’s Views
I was in the checkout at the supermarket yesterday when I heard raised voices and a lot of swearing just beside me. Someone didn’t like the rules of only one per household ….. and made it clear they weren’t happy. They followed me out of the shop swearing that they felt like smashing someone 😳. Not wanting to be that someone ….. I pushed my trolley a little faster to the car park at the same time praying for this couple. Living with strict rules is tough for some. The golden rule of treating others as you would want them to treat you is still the best way to live! Jesus set us free ….. not to do what we like ….. but to live right.

Stay Safe!

Sue’s Views
It amazes me how many people get injured at home! Apparently more than half happen in the home under normal circumstances. Home can be a dangerous place for some. So far this lockdown I’ve seen people fall off ladders doing home projects ….. children falling off trampolines ….. and a hand caught in a food mixer! But one of the most common injuries sadly is people punching a wall or a door. For some ….. being in lockdown produces anger ….. frustration ….. and fear. I’d love to have an X-ray machine that looks at the mind and exposes all the lies. They do far more damage than Covid or any other disease. Stay safe everyone!

Change of Perspective

Sue’s Views
The prophet Habakkuk ….. like many of us had questions for God! Even though he lived 600 years before Christ came ….. his world was very similar to ours. It was full of immorality ….. idolatry ….. injustice ….. and the threat of being taken over by the Babylonians. He basically was asking God ‘What are you doing? Don’t you care?’ God told him that bringing the Babylonians was part of His plan to bring His people to repentance. When Habakkuk saw the vision ….. He was able to see from Gods perspective. His attitude then changed from complaining to sharing a message of faith in a God who was totally in control. His famous song ‘Though the fig tree does not blossom ….. yet will I praise Him’ was born out of this revelation. We are seeing our world today going from bad to worse. I wonder what God will have to do to bring us to our knees. The answer is still ‘The righteous will live by their faith!’

Valley of Weeping

Sue’s Views
The ‘weeping willow’ always reminds me of Psalm 84. 5-7
‘Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains! They will grow constantly in strength …..’
We will all go through the ‘valley of weeping’ at some stage. We can use it to make us bitter ….. or better! I remember reading a book many years ago called ‘Don’t Waste Your Sorrows’. They are not there to drown us but to open up a fountain of blessing. Not only for us ….. but also for others. Our sorrows enable us to identify with those around us ….. and of course with Jesus ….. who suffered the greatest grief ever.

Choices

Sue’s Views

A common saying in our bubble lately has been ‘It’s your fault I’m fat!’ (You may be familiar with the tv show that inspired that saying!) We probably all indulge a little in times like these ….. whether it be food ….. Netflix ….. or other comforts. And whilst we should help each other to be healthy and make good decisions ….. the bottom line is ….. we are all responsible for our own choices. Only I can control what goes into my mouth ….. what I watch ….. how I spend my time. There will always be that moment at the crossroads where a decision has to be made. And ultimately I can only say ‘It’s my fault’ if I make the wrong one! 

Never Alone!

Sue’s Views
Are you feeling lonely? The current situation across the world has meant that many people are isolated. Being alone and cut off from family and friends can be soul destroying ….. and the days seem endless. But I want to speak to you about the power of one. When one person connects with God ….. they become a force to be reckoned with. The prophets of old were lonely! They were sent to warn people of things to come ….. so they weren’t very popular! But God chose them to speak on His behalf. Many died without seeing any results. But they died ….. knowing they had done what was required of them. You may not be called to be a prophet ….. but you are called to pray! Old or young ….. your prayers will have a tremendous effect on the world. Prayer connects us with the spiritual realm ….. and is unlimited in time and space. You will realise that you are never alone ….. and never insignificant!

The Ram

Sue’s Views
Feel like you have a mountain to climb? Have you been given a task that seems impossible? Or are you carrying a burden that is too heavy? I just want to encourage you that you are only seeing one side of that mountain. Abraham was given such a task when God told him to sacrifice his only son on Mount Moriah. Can you imagine the arduous climb he had to make? But what he didn’t know was ….. that with each step he took ….. God was leading a ram up the other side of the mountain ….. to get tangled in a thorn bush at the same time Abraham was about to kill Isaac. And God has a ‘ram’ for your situation as well! We can’t see the whole picture ….. but we must trust the One who can!