by Karen Boyd
There is an old Chinese proverb that says “Don’t push the river, it flows by itself.” This has always reminded me the value of patience. It seems forever since we were able to open our doors. Now it’s such a joy to look out and see familiar and much loved faces. The river has taken us to a different, yet blooming world. There is new growth as we cautiously open up again. This is not the world we knew, there has been a storm called COVID-19 that has changed the course of the river.
When this storm first hit, so many ministries necessarily closed for the “two weeks or so” we expected to be in isolation.
Despite this storm, some ministries have seemed to reinvent themselves. The Quilt and Shawl committee has been unable to distribute prayer quilts and shawls, but most of us have seen the amazing effort by this committee and others who took up the challenge to create homemade cloth masks to meet the need of our community and even the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. As we are now opening, prayer quilts and shawls are once again beginning to give those in need a Heavenly Hug.
Hands On Outreach closed in an abundance of caution. Recognition of the escalating need for food and assistance propelled Outreach to take new and exciting forms. Parishioners came with abundant love and food to help fill the pantry for those in need. Debbie Hurt came to the rescue in new ways to offer financial assistance. The new way of offering assistance has shown this river to have forged new courses. One man, just out of prison, needed help getting a food handlers permit so that he could look for work. Debbie found a way for this gentleman to take the test and printout his permit. He remarked to Debbie that he felt like this was a turning point in his life. Debbie has found ways to creatively help others and still regularly helps with utilities via email. This has been a huge bonus for those unable to leave their home.
Some ministries are for many reasons yet unable to open. They have yet to dip their toes in the river. The river flows, and when the time is right, those ministries will open as well. Sometimes we need patience, but the river still flows, that time will come.