Day 410 | Monday, 3 May 2021

Day 410 - Audio Version

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Day 410 | Monday, 3 May 2021
      
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11 The Message

1 There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: 2 A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap, 3 A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct, 4 A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer, 5 A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part, 6 A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go, 7 A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up, 8 A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace. 9 But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? 10 I've had a good look at what God has given us to do - busywork, mostly. 11 True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time - but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going.

It was Friday, March 20, 2020 that the first of these daily messages was sent out to the neighbors at the Woodlands where Judy and I live.  When I began these thoughts, the intent was to connect us together in our community after hearing about the Corona Virus and the shutting down of life as we had known it.  We were in new territory.  There was uncertainty, fear, worry and many questions.  I wanted the daily thoughts to be a source of hope for all of us as well as bringing us a sense of togetherness even though we needed to be in isolation.  It wasn’t long before the neighbors were referring to me as The Woodlands Shepherd.  When I shared what I had started in the Woodlands with my pastor, she asked if I would send the daily messages to the church so they could be added to the church web site and face book page.  Friends and family soon asked to be added to the email list to receive these daily offerings.  Last fall I was asked if there was a way for me to record these offerings so that people with vision problems could hear them.  That proved to be very meaningful to some.

As Ecclesiastes reminds us, there is a right time for every season.  Even though we are not completely back to normal and out of the woods regarding the Corona Virus, I believe that we are no longer in crisis.  Most of us have received our vaccines.  Many are resuming activities and family gatherings.  In fact, this coming Friday, we are traveling to West Virginia to meet our great grandson who was born Feb. 16th.  We will also be visiting a couple daughters and families one of whom we have not seen since August 2019 and the other since December 2019.  The need around which I started these daily messages is no longer there.  With all that being said, today will be my last daily message to all of you.  The Church Mouse and I have decided to refocus.
Periodically I will send out a similar email.  I will probably focus my thoughts on the change of church seasons and when there seems to be a time of need.  I might even focus on the Sunday messages.  I thank you for reading, listening to or even passing along these messages. 
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We will continue our weekly meeting at Noon on Wednesday to pray the Lord’s Prayer and give strength to one another.  God Bless everyone – stay healthy and stay safe. 
 
The Woodlands Shepherd and The Church Mouse!