Well, the year is half over.

  Does it feel like you have accomplished or experienced any of the things that were on your bucket list way back on New Year’s Day 2020?  Most assuredly, this has been a time of unforeseen testing for each of us, individually, and for our society as a whole.  Frustration, newfound family time, despair, boredom, impatience, – and we’ve all probably felt a little of each, – whatever has been our response to the pandemic and the resulting upheaval of our daily lives, it’s probable that there lurks a subtle feeling of worry and uneasiness just under the surface.  We’re dealing with a lot of unknowns here.
    Perhaps the greatest amount of testing for everyone has been of our faith.  We hope that a certain number of people whose faith was not a part of their lives will have found reason to ponder these ultimate issues of the future and their lives.  We hope that those who have professed a faith, but deferred actually making it a part of their lives, will have spent a little of their lockdown time searching the Word of God.  And we hope that the knowledge that God is in charge has brought a sense of comfort and peace to all who would believe that our future is in His hands.
    All of July and onwards lies ahead of us.  Not one of us knows what tomorrow will bring.  Insofar as the news and social media can inform us, whether by best attempt, crazy conjecture, or intentional disinformation, the reality is that we will find out as we go along and not before.  Inevitably, some of the stuff that happens will be distasteful, and some will come out ok.  Our preparation for the future will best consist of time in the Word, moments of prayer, and following as He directs our paths.                                                                                    Virginia