Constancy

There has been much said about constancy since the late Queen’s death, hardly surprising as she has been on the throne longer than many of us have been alive. Her constant presence meant that, not only was it easy to take her for granted, it was also difficult to imagine a time when she wouldn’t be here. In an age when more and more people are reaching 100 years, some still surprisingly sprightly, we can be forgiven for thinking the Queen might still have had a few more years to go. Thus her sudden death, coming so soon after seeing her welcome in a new Prime Minister, seemingly still well but frail, was even more shocking. Whatever views one may hold about the monarchy, I feel few would disagree that the Queen has been an amazing presence in this country, fulfilling her pledge of lifelong commitment and service to her people. The ready smile, twinkle in her eye and warmth towards all those she met, will be mourned by many and it is unlikely anyone else will ever be in a position to replicate her devotion to duty and to us all.

So where else can we find constancy in our lives and is it important that we do so? For some it may come from a loving close family or being part of a tight knit community. For others it might be living in the same area or even in the same dwelling for years. Or a job that has been ever constant, although lifelong jobs are becoming a rarity, with many people accepting that they will have numerous career changes in their working life. Constancy can come from habits that we form, such as living a well ordered life with regular routines and repeated activities at set times. All these things offer security and safety, compared to a feeling that we are living on shifting sands.

Constancy then is probably thought of as a good thing by most people and yet, as we have seen with the death of the Queen, it can be snatched away in an instant, leaving us flailing about in uncharted waters. I dare to suggest the one constant we can all tap into, should we so desire, is the constancy of a loving God. Believing and trusting in God won’t stop us suffering, it won’t mean we will have a pain free life or that everything will go our way. It does mean that whatever challenges we face in life, we know we do not do it alone. God has promised to be constantly with us and even those who do not dare to believe, can have the assurance that God never gives up on anyone, even when we give up on God. There is a well known poem about footsteps in the sand. In times of trouble there appear to be only one set of footsteps suggesting that God abandons us when life gets tough. The interpretation by the poet is that when only one set of footsteps appear, that is when God carries us. No human can be our constant companion, however much we may wish otherwise, as we all know that death can come calling at any time. But we can choose to have faith in a God who, if we acknowledge him as a constant presence in our life, will give us joy in our relationship with him, comfort in our present and hope for our future.