Sunday Afternoon Tea - A return of plans and hope

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.     Proverbs 13:12 NLT

This past week,  two major hope-filled events occurred in my life.  First, I went grocery shopping without a mask.  It was both freeing and a little frightening after over a year of covering one's face.  The second act of freedom was joining Mr. and Mrs. Christopher and kids for breakfast at Cracker Barrel.  It has been since January 2020 that my husband and I were inside a restaurant to eat!

If you remember, we were told originally that we should plan on a two week lock down by staying in our homes.  Little did we know just how long it would be for many people to have to stay inside and for most of us, that we would be wearing masks for fourteen or more months.

While I realize the pandemic could return should there be any changes in the virus that would require yet another lock down, what I am finding is the return of hope in many of my friends and family.  The hope to travel again.  The hope for family events to return.  The hope of weddings and graduations and picnics and 4th of July parties.

We need to be hoping for something in our life.  Without any hope at all, we can give up and dry up and wilt from our roots.  I think of the year my daughter spent planning their European trip, making reservations, finding the best deals for housing and transportation, the general logistics of travel for a family of seven.  She loves to research and plan!

In many ways, their hope-filled planning began even before that when they made the decision to downsize from their beautiful home to a much smaller, albeit cute, house in a more rural community.  Their financial savings from that decision helped to finance the trip to Europe while their children were still at home.  

However, last year she had planned another trip to take some of the girls from her daughter's graduation class to a few places in Europe as part of the Classical education.  They watched as travel from month to month was cancelled and finally, so was their June trip.  Hope deferred...

There are many lessons we can learn from the pandemic, not the least of which is how things around us that we take for granted can change almost overnight.  Which is a good lesson for stocking up on essentials but it can bring about the unwanted results of anxiety and fear.

It does seem that many people are afraid to hope again, to make plans to do something that takes time or for a special event. The "what ifs'" can overtake us, fear replaces faith, past disappointments can keep hope deferred even when it doesn't have to happen because circumstances are different.

Trauma can have this effect on us and it may take awhile for many people to overcome the pandemic.  Most definitely those who suffered loss of loved ones and loss of income may take a long time to recover.  However, I'm also talking about those who apparently suffered no loss of people or things.  Trauma can take root and show up when we do not expect it.

For a long time, I would have told you the childhood trauma I experienced had no real lasting effect.  For me, it was the sudden death of my father with a heart attack and the murder of a man related by marriage the following year.  At that time, it was thought best not to talk about such things in front of the children so I learned not to attempt to talk to anyone about my feelings.

However, the effects began to show up physically and emotionally and to be honest, I believe they are still deep within all these decades later.  Something happens when our innocence is removed... the innocence that no bad things will happen to us. 

That innocence is something the world has now lost.  While some parts of the world had already experienced their own form of trauma, no one had gone through a world wide traumatic event before.  Even the strongest among us is experiencing some kind of anxiety, especially those who do not trust in God's grace and mercy in hard times.

I was thinking this past week about the people I know who are becoming more cheerful again, those that are hoping and planning at least on a small scale.  Many of them are finding enjoyment in the changing of the seasons as the wonders of nature and the beauty of God's world is healing their souls.

Some friends have decided to learn something new or they are taking up an old hobby once again as a form of showing hope in the future.  In our home, I have spent a few weeks cleaning the deck and putting together the container garden as my husband has been working on long planned landscaping projects.  All was accomplished a little at a time but it felt good to be working on a project again.

I started reading a new murder mystery thriller series that reminds me of a Frank Peretti novel.  It has been a long time since I started a new series but thankfully, the Kindle makes that possible.  I do have other books waiting in the wings parked in Audible for a change.

I have been enjoying my friend, Heather's, nature updates on Instagram and if my eyesight was better, I would love to take her upcoming Nature & Nurture class that centers around All Creatures Great & Small.  They are among my favorite books and I even enjoyed the new series on PBS.  If you love art, journaling, nature, tea time, Great Britain, and in particular that book series, you would love her new class (link below).

While each week I encourage strengthening our spirit and I still do for that is our anchor in Christ.  This week I'm encouraging the do-ing of life as we are peeking out from our masks and taking in a breath of fresh air.  With all the darkness swirling around these past months, there is still a lot in this world that brings joy.

Mentioned in this Blog Post

I highly recommend any of Heather's classes but this one is particularly exciting for someone who loves these books.  

Further information can be found... here.  It begins later this week!

Blood Lies is the first book in Sharon Gilbert's Redwing Saga.  She begins about ten years before the Ripper murders in London and this first book of the series quickly jumps to the time when Jack the Ripper is all everyone is talking about.

The policeman and the little girl that we meet in the beginning of the book are two of the characters we will come to embrace right away.  Add royal lineage, mysterious birthrights, and how the people are all involved in a spiritual battle of good and evil and you will also be enthralled right away.

More information can be found... here.

 

Have you seen the latest All Creatures Great and Small TV series?  I thought it was very good although if one compares it to the original precept upon precept, it is not exactly the same.  

 

But it is good enjoyed for what it is, a new series based upon the books.  I normally do not like modern takes on old favorites but this was well done and the costumes are lovely.

DVD of Season One is available... here.

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