Shortly before the lockdown began

My Bible: reasons to believe in the power of the Bible

‘Shortly before the lockdown began, my wife, Evelyn’s, breast cancer morphed into cancer of the spine. We thought that she had days, or a week or so, to live. It became clear that we could no longer care for her at home, so arrangements were made for her to go into care. ‘With the possibility of not being able to see her again, we decided that I would go with her. We have been married for 47 years. Initially, she was in the local hospice, but eventually she transferred to a nursing home and I went too, which meant lockdown. 

‘There’s a little balcony and we have been out there. We imagine ourselves on holiday in Northumberland, that’s where we usually go. Loss isn’t when someone dies. You lose lots of things along the way. It’s a whole series of losses. We’ve lost so much, but being able to sit on the balcony was wonderful. 

‘Scripture has played a huge part in my life. But, for a while, I lost my ability to read it. I was just reacting to the circumstances. But, then I felt a nudge from God to read and study the book of Ruth. I have found great comfort in the story of how God cared and provided for Ruth and Naomi and how his providential plan for them was worked out. 

‘In particular, the thought of God being our refuge, and finding refuge beneath his wings, has sustained me and given me hope (Ruth 2.12). This care home has been a place of refuge and safety for us during these difficult days. 

‘The staff here are kind and loving. They are caring for people that nobody else wants to care for. They are superb really.

‘I continue to meditate on the book of Ruth. Our future remains uncertain. We live day to day. It’s all we can do, really.’

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