By Revd. Lesley Hewish
At this time of the year, life can seem a little lonely or just a bit dreary. It’s February. The Christmas trees are a distant memory, all the twinkly lights have been packed away and wrapping paper and cards recycled (hopefully). Unlike the lone Christmas tree spotted in the middle of Orchard Street back in mid-January.
Children have played with their new toys until they don’t seem new anymore, and the New Year has come and gone. Charity shops nationally had record donations of unwanted gifts!! All those well-meant smellies. And the boxes of biscuits and chocolates we received have helped our new year’s resolutions waver!!! We may well have already broken a resolution or two. Don’t panic, we all do it!! I wonder if we set the bar a bit high directly after Christmas.
I think we are all looking for hope, for encouragement.
We crave some positive light coming into our world.
I also think we all know what we don’t want.
We don’t want to be turning on the TV and hearing that our planet is at tipping point ecologically. We want wars to end and peace and justice to rule. We are fed up with our elected politicians papering over the cracks, using smoke and mirrors, confusing us with rhetoric and lies. Sadly ‘The Truth’ doesn’t win votes.
We may feel that we can’t make a difference. What can we do as individuals, even as a community to make positive change?
Well, we start with ourselves. What can we change in ourselves that will make us a better person? That may be about our diet and wellbeing, it may be about our own mental health. Its worth taking the time out to reflect.
I am seriously struggling to get on top of my wellbeing, both physical and emotional. And I know that the only person that can make those changes is me. But it’s difficult to make those changes alone. I need someone to encourage me, to call me out when I’m losing focus.
So, let’s be encouragers. Look around us. See the people we live and work with. Ask them how they are doing, be that encourager.
Small acts of kindness, being generous with a bit of our time can make a big difference to another person.
Now we aren’t going to change the world just like that, but we will make a difference to a few, who in turn might think ‘who can I encourage?’
We can’t change the world. So, let’s try focusing on the small things. The things that are happening in our own world. Observing and then acting with love and kindness.
Have you ever been in a situation when you are so thirsty, your mouth is dry, you feel dehydrated, and someone offers you a cup of water? Not a gallon, or a pint, just a small cup of water. Sometimes that is all we need. It’s not about the volume. It’s the fact that someone has noticed that you are thirsty.