Under cover

Well, its been a difficult few weeks, involving a big 0 birthday celebration and a change of role on the volunteering front.

I’m not sure which made me most anxious. I am not a party animal so organising a celebration can send me into a downward spiral of panic till I want to hide!

Then, for reasons I still can’t fathom I have stepped down from a role as chair of directors of ATD Fourth World and taken on being part of the National Leadership Team, effectively a chief executive officer role. ‘Why ?’ I ask myself when I could be sitting at home with my feet up.

‘You’d be bored.’ friends replied.

So here I am, full of trepidation, immersed in handover meetings, planning meetings, and budget discussions. Like many charities, we are wondering how we are going to cover a funding gap that has widened in the last few years. My two colleagues in the leadership team are a member of the International Volunteer Corps of ATD, and a family member, originally helped by the charity, who now wants to give something back. We come from very different backgrounds and life experiences. We share a passion to help those in poverty to find support at times of crisis, and a voice.

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels.com

What a privilege!

There will be many challenges, I know but, so often, I find solace in Psalm 91 ‘He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.’

It much be wonderful to be hidden under feathers but bird’s beaks are sharp. The image speaks of protection in the sense of being hidden, but also of being defended, covered by a weapon.

This post is part of the fiveminutefriday Linkup. The prompt was COVER.

Here is another take on cover. Don’t judge a book by its cover is a phrase often quoted, though it’s origin seems uncertain. I designed my own covers, as you can probably tell. The photos, and the context of the stories are real. Click on the image to make your own judgement on the content!