Hey Grace Chapel! My name is Tom Boisclair and I am the campus pastor in Foxboro!

Allow me to introduce you to the most playful, energetic and snuggling dog on the planet, Fenway.

I think having all of us home is cramping his style a little bit. Normally he has a solid 4-6 hours of alone time where he prays for the family.

I want to encourage you no matter where you find yourself in this corona virus season to see the opportunities. The virus has changed the way we do a lot of things. It has “forced” us to stay closer to home.

Often in the face of difficult situations we look at them in terms of what we have lost or don’t have anymore.

I want to encourage you to look at what this situation has afforded you by way of opportunity, and possibilities when it comes to relationships, and personal growth.

We as family have been blessed and greatly encouraged by the amount of phone calls, text emails and even gifts, it makes us feel like we are cared for and loved. It has been an inspiration to us to BLESS by others and our greatest joy to BLESS others!

I’ve been reading through 1 Peter lately and two verses highlight the idea of loving each other deeply.

1. 1 Peter 1:22 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.[b] a. love one another deeply, from the heart.[b]

i. This verse suggests that we love each other deeply with a pure heart

A few chapters later 1 Peter 4:8,

Peter says it again and gives us a bit more detail into what loving deeply means;

listen to this:

2. Above all,

Love each other deeply

because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Offer hospitality to one another

without grumbling.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received

to serve others,

as faithful stewards

of God’s grace

in its various forms.

God thru Peter calls us to love each other

In the way we serve faithfully steward his love and grace to others

As we show kindness as we BLESS others we are doing the work of God!

So my question to you today is how will you faithfully steward the opportunities God given to you in this season?

Is it a phone call, a text, a virtual coffee, a hand written note, a pizza delivered to a neighbor, a thoughtful gift or note, a gift card left in a mailbox, a bottle of hand sanitizer, a prayer said, written or spoken,

We have one of the greatest opportunities of our lifetime as we walk and live in these days. The light does shine brightest in the darkness.

The light of Christ shines brightest when times are darkest. Personally, I see the light bursting through in the way the way we practice kindness and really kindness is love.

·My Biggest hope and prayer in this season is that our kindness and love for one another is so great that it–monopolizes news feeds and becomes the talk of local and national media.

THE VALLEY OF VISION PRAYER

Let me learn by paradox

That the way down is the way up,

That to be low is to be high,

That the broken heart is the healed heart,

That the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,

That the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

That to have nothing it so possess all,

That to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

That to give it so receive,

That the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from the deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;

Let me find:

thy light in my darkness,

thy life in my death,

thy joy in my sorrow,

thy grace in my sin,

thy riches in my poverty,

thy glory in my valley.