If my heart were more content in you, O Lord,
I would be less inclined to rage at others.
Let me gauge by the knot in my gut,
the poverty of my own understanding
of the grace I have received
from a God who, loving me,
chose rather to receive wounds
than to give them.
Take from me my self-righteousness,
and my ego-driven demands for respect.
Overthrow the tyranny of my anger, O Lord,
and in its place establish a better vision
of your throne, your kingdom, and your peace.
We are also reading through the psalms and today we pray for three people we know who are sick with Covid-19. At 9:30, Manu gets started with online school and Tim drives to the store to get groceries for a couple who are unwell and not able to leave the house. At their suggestion, he left the things inside their front gate without seeing them, which feels harsh but necessary.
Meanwhile, I get on with writing a piece for YWAM that was discussed at an online meeting of the communication team last night. While the writing goes quickly, it's hard to find the right tone for a time like this. I send it to my team-mates for their comments and, after a quick Zoom call, join the family for lunch. Even though we have absolutely everything we need right now, I find myself far more conscious than usual of how much food we are using, wondering how significant rationing of essentials might become. It's hard to convey this to the kids without freaking them out and, in any case, it would be a tad premature. Maybe I've read too many novels.
In the afternoon, Tim works on building a gate from some pallet wood he had in the shed. The dogs had got into the veggie and herb garden he and Keziah planted last week, digging up a row of chives. He creates a clever little gate to that part of the garden and I find it prettier and less annoying than I thought I would, and can imagine at some point adding a little arch for growing a vine or jasmine.
I don't normally relish walking the dogs in the rain, but today it feels good to get out of the house. I make sure I take my ID with me, as we've read that we shouldn't risk getting stopped without it. I exchange audio messages with my sister as I walk; she's in the UK and restrictions associated with the pandemic are beginning to affect her work.
After Manu finishes her school work, we connect with some friends to celebrate St Patrick's Day together.
I had challenged the kids to dress in green and one of the boys had really gone to town - not only is he head-to-toe in green, but his face is green too!
It's sweet to catch up and exchange news of how we are all coping with being shut in at home, especially since one friend is home alone. I am not sure, right now, whether to see that as fabulous or terrifying.
After the call, the girls retreat to Keziah's room to watch something together while Tim and I set up a HIIT circuit in the den. It doesn't take long but it's a great way to energise at the end of the day. We had been training for a half marathon together, which was due to take place on 19 April and, inevitably, has been cancelled. We'd been hopeful that even during the lockdown we would be able to head onto the hillside behind our house to run trails but that is clearly not going to be possible. So instead we run up and down the stairs in between squats and push ups. It's not much but it might just save our sanity!
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