Awakening

  I awakened early with a sense of urgency. WRITE! WRITE! WRITE!

  It’s been a long while yet the weeks and months have passed in a blur; couldn’t tell you the last time I blogged.  I don’t think I am supposed to apologize for this or even justify the reasons why the writing screeched to a halt. Hmmm….I am feeling rather guilty this morning.

  Perhaps if I share that I am no longer living on my own, at least temporarily…or maybe permanently. We aren’t sure but there’s no hurry to decide. There is a lot to take into consideration.

  The friend I stayed with during the renos ended up staying here at the start of the Covid outbreak to allow her son and family to use her place. When the pandemic exploded, we decided to stay together in case there was a major lockdown. Neither of us wanted to ride out the storm alone.  The lockdown didn’t happen but both of us have come to realize we are good for each other.

  That’s part of why the blog stalled: having someone to talk to in the morning is such a blessing. Having someone to talk to a good part of the time is an even greater blessing.

  It’s not the deep, philosophical conversations that mean so much, although they are an important part of our friendship. It’s the little bits of banter back and forth about the garden, the houseplants, what we are watching on TV. It’s having help deciding what to cook for supper. It’s having the desire to cook supper! It’s having someone to bounce ideas off of. It’s being free to be silly.

  I have never laughed so much. I never realized how great a hole there was in my life simply because I rarely laughed. There was rarely a reason to.

  Who’d have thought I would finally understand the importance of community in the midst of a season where gathering together is banned. But doesn’t that fully demonstrate the unquenchable abilities of Jesus, the Redeemer?

 

  I have been alone for a long, long time. It’s only in hindsight that I realize just how lonely that was.

  I also thought I would not be able to live with someone. But that particular idea is not of God. All wars are fought on the strategy of divide and conquer. The war for our hearts and souls is based on this strategy.

  When I bought my house over thirteen years ago, I knew it was a place meant to be shared. It’s taken thirteen years for this to bear fruit. And it’s not just for my friend, her family has been here. Another friend asked me for a patch of garden to grown some flowers. A couple of church ladies had a social distancing picnic in my back yard. People have popped by for a driveway chat.

  In the process, I am letting go of the need for isolation or perhaps it would be better to call it my fear of people.

  So I will wrap this up by giving thanks for the wonderful changes brought about because of a virus.

  AMEN!