Rosemary Beardow

Be still, and know that I am God; Psalm 46:10
 
For the first few weeks of lockdown there was a part of me that was pleased that external circumstances had forced me to stop and step away from my normal hurried and busy life. I enjoyed the time walking, observing nature and the release from pressures of responsibility and demands on my time.

Gradually I found that I was feeling overwhelmed by new expectations and activity however: Zoom meetings, trying to sort 30 years of photographs, tackling years of neglected household tasks, reading the unread books lining my bookshelves, participating in online classes etc.etc. I had become as busy and as hurried as ever.

I began talking with God about this in my quiet times. Slowly He has shown me that drivenness is a facet of my personality with which I need His help, and that what is important is to enjoy these new opportunities for quiet and stillness. I am realising that it doesn’t matter if some jobs don’t get done and that change will only come by spending time alone with God; this is an amazing opportunity to re-assess what my life was, is and will be.  

I am trying to identify and reflect on how I want life to be different after lockdown. I realise that if I am not intentional about any changes I would like to make I will simply slip into my old natural habits of busyness and hurry.

What good things have you discovered that you want to be your ‘new normal’? I encourage you to spend some time quietly in God’s presence and ask Him to show you.

I would also recommend the excellent book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Comer who outlines how we might become the people God want us to be.  
 
Prayer: Father God help each of us learn to hear your voice and help us to become the person you want us to be.
 
Prayer Request:  For those in our church community adapting to new circumstances as there are less restrictions on our lives, that God would be at the centre of new plans and actions.