James 1:5 (NIV)
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Proverbs 4:7 (NIV)
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
- Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909)
"Michael, come closer. You were spared to lead the great fight. Don't turn away in fear. One man can make a difference and you are going to be that man."
- Wilton Knight to Michael Knight (first episode of Knight Rider, 1982)
"John Kennedy believed so strongly that one’s aim should not just be the most comfortable life possible, but that we should all do something to right the wrongs we see, and not just complain about them. We owe that to our country, and our country will suffer if we don’t serve her. He believed that one man can make a difference – and that every man should try."
- Jacqueline Kennedy, 1964
Mr. Spock: [holding his hands to form an circle symbol] One.
Sevrin: [Sevrin and Adam look up and form the same circle symbol with their hands] We are one.
Mr. Spock: One is the beginning.
Adam: Are you one, Herbert?
Mr. Spock: [dead-panned] I am not Herbert.
Adam: [smiles] He's not Herbert. We reach!
- The Way to Eden (Star Trek original series episode, 1969)
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. "
(Romans 12:14 New International Version)
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
The courage to change the things that I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference.
The plaque has been on the wall for a while. However, the world has changed significantly since it was put up there.
When I glance up at it, I smile. It is so apt at the moment. Because things are changing so quickly, and (like many) I simply can't keep up with the changes. Even just a couple of years ago, I could have told you what was happening in my life, what was going to happen. Not so now. There are so many things that I've given up, or simply don't do now. There is such uncertainty. So many things planned, then cancelled or rearranged.
Is this an effect of the pandemic? Of changes in society? Of other people's decisions affecting my life? Of my ever-advancing years?
I really don't know if it's just one thing - it's a combination of things. However, I know I can't go back to the way things used to me. Things have moved on.
So - I need to take it slow, and focus on the things where I can take control. New challenges, new opportunities.
And I need to stop worrying about the rest. All the things I used to do. The many years of service that I completed, and have now had to let go. I don't mourn their passing any more. I celebrate the fact that I did these things, and made a difference.
And I know there will be new things to do, just around the corner ...
"I keep being asked when we can go 'back to normal' or 'like it was before'. My personal thoughts: We've added a new disease to our population, more infectious and more severe than flu. The world pre-2020 no longer exists - we may want it to, but it just doesn't." - Christina Pagel, Professor of Operational Research and a member of the UK Government's SAGE Committee, in a Twitter quote...
"Th' whole worl's in a terrible state o' chassis" – Captain Boyle, Act III, Juno and the Paycock (Sean O'Casey)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV UK)
For example, we needed to think about who we could ask for help to make sure we could stay at home if we had to self-isolate. Many of us had to learn how to shop online for many items when the shops themselves weren't physically open. Even a trip to the supermarket became more like a military manoeuvre rather than a quick trip out - are you masked up? Is the supermarket letting us in? Can we keep our social distance when we get in? Are the items we want available to buy? (sigh)
I've lost count of the number of occasions when I've planned out my week, only to have it change twice or three-times in a matter of hours!
