Preparing for The Storms of Life
Lianne sherlock
“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn't fall, for it was founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn't do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
— Matthew 7:24–27
Storms will come. There is no stopping them. And goodness only knows we are in the thick of a terrible storm right now. Sometimes storms come with warning and at other times they come suddenly without warning, but we are guaranteed that they will come.
I have always loved this parable but in recent times it has resonated deeply, and I have found myself coming back to it as I reflect on the ways I have handled or perhaps not handled this current storm. Had I been as ready and as prepared as I should have been? Did I have enough food in the freezer and was meal prepping and planning as high on my list as maybe it should have been? Was I prepared and set up to work effectively and efficiently from home? Were my financial foundations adequate to weather what could be a significant period of financial uncertainty?
It also made me realise quite how fallible we all are and how inordinately reliant we are on the infrastructure of our country in order to get by. We have moved so far away from any sort of self-sufficiency that is quite unnerving. In moments of restless sleep in the past few months, I sat up late in the night, as I am sure many of you have also done, and fretted about the things with which I cannot control: food stocks at the shops, contracts at work that keep me employed, the health of my family, etc.
“When you can’t change the direction of the wind – adjust your sails.” ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr.
And so, I ordered chickens, googled victory gardens and started being rather more diligent in my attempts at keeping my sourdough starter alive! Whilst this pandemic has absolutely been an awful tragedy, a huge stressor and has triggered our fears and uncertainties like never before – there is light there. These are some of the things that I personally will take away from this time, although I know that not everyone will feel like this:
1. Time
What a blessing time is. Time with my children: proper time with my children. Not with the usual stresses of school, activities, work, dinner, homework…. But real time. Getting up late, relaxed breakfasts in the den in the garden, a jigsaw puzzle, movie nights and walks as a family.
2. The Environment
Profound effects on the environment have been seen in the recent weeks and months. Here in the UK, the lockdown has seen a huge leap in air quality, with measures of toxic particulate down by as much as 50% in big cities. We can hear the bird songs so much more clearly because there is less traffic on the roads.
3. Community
This has been one of the most beautiful aspects of this unprecedented time. The coming together of communities, our church community and our village and town communities. Joining my neighbours in our weekly clap for the wonderful NHS. Seeing people set up help groups, run errands, check on neighbours and rally together has been uplifting and heart-warming. Long may this community spirit reign!
I am praying that you and yours are well and safe and that your foundations haven’t been rocked too much in recent times. As we navigate these storms of life with faith, let us remember “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”
-Lianne Sherlock
