03.04.2026 | Wednesday in Lent

Under the Grey Skies
 
Keep calm and carry on.
 
“Keep calm and carry on” popped into my head this morning as we stepped out into the grey for our morning constitutional. The little Doodle girl, of course, is completely unbothered by such skies. She is happy in all weather. The grey hits me a bit differently.
 
The damp weather hits harder as I am getting older. The aches and pains of arthritis hurt a bit deeper in the damp and chill. I sometimes struggle with the constant pain. Then I remember to move. To get up and move. To carry on. I move on, carry on, and keep going. Once you stop, it is almost impossible to start once again. Once you give up, you are finished.
 
“Keep calm and carry on” lands differently when you’re living it. The stolid Brits created this slogan to help people hold onto courage in times of uncertainty. It was never meant to silence fear, but to offer calmness as a companion, a reminder to slow down, breathe in and breathe out, and let the noise settle the way raindrops settle into the soil of the garden. We need the grey skies and the rain for the tender shoots of Spring to flourish once again.
 
I think of the promise in Isaiah: “But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” These words steady me. They remind me that strength is renewed in the waiting, in the trusting, in the simple act of taking the next small step.
 
It is our purpose to carry on. To keep doing the small, faithful, fruitful work. Today, under grey skies, we still choose kindness in a world that feels saturated with hatred. We continue to offer hope where hopelessness seems to reign. We keep the faith alive. We keep the home fires burning. We keep loving when love is hard to find.
 
I am reminded to be still. I am reminded to listen for the wee small voice. I am reminded to stay grounded. Stay hopeful. Keep loving. I am reminded, again and again, to keep calm and carry on.
 
My hope is that calm walks beside you today, and courage rises quietly with each small step.