Caroline Jamieson

‘Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ’ Galatians 3v2

I guess our lives can’t all be rainbows and butterflies. To start with, we’d have a lot of rain and there’d be herds of caterpillars roaming our gardens.

Last week was a pretty difficult week for my family and me. My mother went into hospital, caught Covid 19 and … survived! However, since she is 93 and has dementia, it has left her unable to live at home.  So we have had to make the horribly difficult decision to send her to a care home where she can be cared for properly. It is particularly difficult as we have been unable to see her and we have to trust others for her future.  

It’s at times like this that I turn to my brothers and sisters in Christ and ask them to sustain me in prayer. And so, knowing that I have a cushion of support from my church family, I can ask God for guidance - which is exactly what I did.

God is a gracious God. He is merciful, kind and wise. He guided me to my decision through prayer and talking to wise friends.

We all go through difficult times and times when we need to make hard decisions but I would urge you to ask for prayer support. After all, even Jesus asked his disciples to pray for Him. Our family at St Stephen’s is full of great prayer warriors. Don’t be shy. If you have a worry or difficult decision, phone /Face time/WhatsApp someone. Share your concerns and pray together.

At the end of our Connect Group meetings, we make it a habit to ask what each of us wants praying for in the following week and it’s amazing how often our prayers are answered by the following meeting.  So my prayer for our church family today is that we would bear one another’s burdens.

Prayer
Father thank you for our church family and for the care and love that we can show each other.

Here is a piece of music to raise the spirits and help you go with the flow. It is Vltava (The Moldau) by the Czech, Smetana. I love it.   

Prayer Request
Give thanks for those in our church community who have supported others during the pandemic, both practically and spiritually.