“What do you have?”
Considering the challenge of Covid 19 and what will get you through
I am now at the stage where I am wondering, “ Will there be a bus?” “Will the cafe be open?” and given it is Sunday, “ Will there be a meeting for worship?” I am pleased to report all three happened.
I noticed that the meeting was a little depleted mainly of the elders amongst us. A friend has designed a homemade sign advising us all, ‘To wash our hands’. Elbow bumps replaced handshakes. You can tell what is on your mind is on everyones.
The vocal ministry given related to how we are living with coronavirus. It was as I sat there that the words came to me, “ What do you have?”
I think they came in relation to the question, “ How are we going to live with this?”
Biblical stories from childhood came to me. Stories from which I have drawn over the course of my life particularly when facing challenges.
I then wondered, as you do in a Quaker meeting, whether this was just for me or whether it is for others. I waited. It is when my heart starts racing that I know that I may be on my feet soon but I wait again just in case it passes.
I was on my feet.
“ Each day we face challenges. Life presents us with challenges so in one sense this challenge is not new although it may be exceptional. What is it that gets us through life for it is that which will get us through this.
As I sat here the words came to me, “ What do you have?” Then stories from childhood came to me. The first one was that of Moses. He was in Midian having fled Eygpt tending to his father in law sheep when God visited him. God asked him what did he have in his hand, he had a rod. God took what he had and turned it into a snake to give him confidence in the task that lay ahead.
The next story was that of the boy shepherd David. He had a sling and 5 stones to ward off those predators that would seek his sheep. They came to him to fight Goliath and put armour on him but it didn’t work. He took what he had his sling and a stone and slew the Giant.
The third story was that great story of the boy with the packed lunch, what did he have? He had a mum. A mum who packed him a lunch just in case things overran and he got hungry. They did and not only did he get hungry but so too the other 4999 with him. Jesus took his lunch, what he had, and feed the 5000.
The final story is one I often fall back on. The disciples are on a boat when a storm brews up and they become afraid. Jesus is asleep on board. They wake him up and he stills the storm, they had a Jesus.
What do we have?”
If you don’t know ask someone to share what they have to get them through and if you don’t get an answer I am happy to share what gets me through if I haven’t already.
best,
g
