What did you do with your lockdown?

This week I read about a job interview question doing the rounds: What did you do with your lockdown time? And it got me thinking.

For me it’s been about overseeing school-at-home while squeezing my work around the school day, rather than into the school day. It’s been like living life inside out and back to front.

Not everyone’s experiences have been the same though. Some people have been busier with businesses finding they are overrun as consumers’ needs shift. Those involved in healthcare have faced a double-whammy of increased risk on top of increased workload. Teachers and those in schools have dealt with huge challenges, often running social welfare and public health alongside education as they help their communities.

There are also those who’ve been lonely, lost their jobs or been furloughed. People who ordinarily are busy, have had time on their hands, and so house renovations, sour dough and gardening took off, as people filled their time.

There will have been some of us who have been worried, about ourselves or loved ones, have been bereaved or faced illness, and it’s not so much about filling the time, as getting through.

It’s been (and still is) an unpredictable world we’re living in. And when there’s been such big shifts, it’s understandable to feel a little rudderless. I imagine lots of us have re-evaluated our lives and asked ourselves what’s really important.

However, in all this uncertainty, with all the varied experiences, there is one constant. One true and steadfast power that can be a strength to the exhausted, a friend to the lonely and a comfort to those who grieve.

That one constant is God. And he’s here for you, no matter what.

‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…’ Psalm 46 v1