Most days during lockdown, my wife and I have made time to pray for our family and for one another.
Before lockdown, our family life was hectic! driving here and there with the younger children, who were doing boxing and football, so taking them to training and matches. Love that the kids enjoy what they do, but it can take over your life. We have three older kids too, who thankfully don’t need us to drive them around anymore. However as Parents we are always on standby and of course we never stop thinking or praying for them.
So the lockdown routine became taking the dog for a long walk in the mornings, meeting lots more people and having chats. Definitely a slower pace of life which has brought a way in of embracing the simple things. Its great getting closer to nature. In the woodlands where I walk Nala our dog, we see many red squirrels and beautiful deer (which Nala has loved chasing, bringing a huge smile to my face!).
Every Monday evening I have had the honour in being part of an on line Codelife Bible study. This has allowed me and 6 other lads the opportunity to explore the Bible through an amazing study, the material is first class, yet done in a simplistic way. Our own CVM CEO Nathan Blackaby put this together in a way that encourages men to share a journey together, bringing out the best in one another. This is a 12 week course, and the guys loved it so much, that we have now started another series looking at ‘52 Men of the Bible’ based around Carl Beechs book of the same name.
In this lockdown, things have happened without really striving or trying to push the doors open, and even in these challenging and different days I believe that God is always working out the best for his children.
Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom … and all these things shall be yours as well” (Mt. 6:33 RSV). This is the foundation of the simple life. It is God we want, and when we find our Creator, we find joy and contentment. The things that happen to us, our memories, and our possessions are significant, but nothing is as important as our relationship with God. When the simple life is lived, the earthly experience flows from our oneness with God. The divine Fountainhead is the source of life and its many experiences.
As believers in Christ we are called to ‘Seek first the kingdom of God’. How many times have we read or heard this? Of course, it is so simple to read it, but to live a simple life has become so complicated in a world that demands our time and energy…………..
A big challenge we all face coming out of lockdown is, do we carry on our complicated lifestyle pre lockdown or do we give it all to God and let him work in and for us, so we can develop the simpler lives he wants us to experience walking close by his side.
Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
