I love the Blessing Song UK that has been released in the last few days. Do listen to it if you haven’t. https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDPUtll3mNj5U&v=PUtll3mNj5U&feature=emb_rel_end
It reminded me of the way our church family is passing on to each other and those outside our family, the blessing and favour that the Lord has given to their families and their children. And I’d like to share those with you now.
Blessing each other: It’s been a privilege and a joy, as part of my pastoral role, to be on the various church family WhatsApp groups. They share advice and practical help. They support each other emotionally and spiritually. They are real, open, honest and vulnerable with each other and I’m sure are bonding so much more because of this regular contact with each other. Last week one group had a very long Godly, wise, learned (and funny) exchange of views on a topic of real relevance to today's’ young Christian families. I was so impressed with the way they respected other views and felt able to be open with their own opinions. What a great group of women!
More Blessings: Some of our young families have been teamed up with a senior member of our congregation who may be living on their own. This was initially to brighten their day by sending them all the excess craft generated by children in their homes. But, as time has gone on, phone conversations have started up and relationships are building. The young experiencing the wisdom of the wise and the mature enjoying the delights of the young.
Passing on the Lord’s Favour: Parents who are coping with working at home, home schooling, doing children’s church, interpreting teenage grunt language, achieving potty training success AND staying alive, still have generous hearts and want to help other families. They’ve realised that hard as it is for them, it’s even harder for others who don’t have internet access or a craft cupboard full of supplies. But they can’t go meeting up with other parents down at the park to offer them craft stuff and printed resources. So we’ve come up with a solution. The parents who can help, print out resources, collect together excess craft supplies from their home (or even get new stuff delivered), educational resources, and books and games. I pick them up and every two or three weeks, when I deliver food from the Fareshare scheme, I also give out all these resources for the families that need them in our parish. The ones who give feel the Lord’s favour and those who receive are blessed! A great combination. Thank you Lord!
Sharon Blair