What do I write this week? So much has already been written that I know you don’t want to read the same old, same old, however good the advice may be.

As I sit at my desk and contemplate an indeterminate number of weeks spent at home (at the moment voluntary in South Africa, but that can change in an instant), I am a bit stuck as to what to write.

How do I feel about this self-isolation? Well, as much as I love people and having them around me, I have a particular fondness for being alone. And to be honest, I am struggling to think about what to write because my mind is full of ideas.

Will I tell you about the writing challenge that lies ahead of me for the next 12 weeks or so, deadline about 20 June? Or should I mention the art project that I have long been wanting to do, which now will probably be possible as I give myself space from writing? Or how about the knitting that I need to finish before the southern hemisphere winter bites (yes, guys, knitting!)? Perhaps I should mention the books I have to read, the recipes I want to try, the garden I want to spend time in – sitting and working – and what about the walks I will take in our glorious autumnal weather?

We may not stand in our gardens and sing, like the Spaniards and the Italians. But our roads are narrow enough for us to stand in our gardens and chat to one another. In the last two days I have spoken to friends I have not contacted for five months, and reconnected. I am chatting to family more often too, admittedly on the phone but the connection is there. I am browsing my Pinterest boards for ideas and entertainment. I have Scripture to read and think about; a devotional book to go through and meditate upon as I learn more about the Jesus I worship.

I suspect there will be days when I get fed up. Days, perhaps when it rains and I feel as if I have ‘nothing to do’. But in my snug little home I will be content. After all, there is always housework too …

God bless you and keep you safe in the days ahead. May you know He holds you in the palm of His hands.