1st February 2021

There is so much negativity and sadness around at the moment. You cannot get away from the worrying news / political fighting / cold wet days and nights and overall it seems a little gloomy. The resumption of normal life is getting closer but still seems out of our reach.

On the whole I am a fairly ‘happy chappy’ but even I have struggled a bit this lockdown and it is easy for us to feel low and fed up and get dragged down into the spiral of ‘doom and gloom’.

I switched the television on this morning, and I caught the end of an interview. The comments made were:

Do you have a roof over your head ?

Do you have food on your table ?

Do you have love – the love of others and the love for others?

In that case, he said, you are blessed. You are lucky, you are fortunate.

As Christians, yes, we are lucky and fortunate because we have all of those things, but as Christians we are truly blessed. We have God’s love, His care, His courage and support, and with that blessing we can all face the future with strength and positivity, whatever it looks like.

Numbers 6: 24-26

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Graham Lewis