Clouds over the Gulf, George Gair Reserve, Takapuna.
We all experienced the grumpy cyclone winds and oppressive humidity a little while back. That particular Sunday the manse lost a section of fence, providing unfettered access to the church car-park. My compost bin was flattened but is now restored to something resembling its former glory. Sometime soon we will fix the fence. Others around Auckland were not so lucky, losing electric power for a significant time period.
Of course, everyone wants their power back on ASAP, but this is not possible. For obvious safety reasons, repairs and trouble-shooting must occur after the worst of the storm has passed. There is a lesson for us here. We endure seasons of suffering and uncertainty, and we struggle to be in the midst of it. Patience is required to get through. We feel we are holding on, having 'battened down the hatches'. The whole Covid pandemic and its associated troubles strike me as such a time. After the storm, repairs will need to be made. Yes we can see the end, but as we long for normality, let us not rush past the repair jobs, large and small, along the way.
Habits will need to be rediscovered, relationships mended in some cases, and new modes of ministry and life implemented. Some things will be familiar and comforting, other things new and innovative. First we need patience and grace to negotiate the end of this Covid thing.
In faith, let us expect that we will respond well to challenges in our church community post-Covid. We have the resources of grace and love available to us in Christ, through scripture and by the power of the Holy Spirit. My devotional reading today (22/2/22) says this:
He takes us on adventures and fills our hearts with wonders. That doesn't mean we never face hardship or difficulty, but it does mean we never face only hardship and difficulty. In His Presence, we experience unexpectedly good things. (Chris Tiegreen)
So let us hope for good things from God, and be alert to when the storm passes and we can both minister and receive God's love and grace more freely in communion with God's people around us, with expectation this will flow out to others who need to experience God's intervention in their lives.