Day Thirty: County Laois

Saturday 30 May

The annual VOX magazine Finding Faith Tour looks very different this year. Instead of a 7-day road trip around the island, this year VOX editor Ruth Garvey-Williams brings you highlights from all 32 counties (one per day plus one for each of the 31 days in May). Contact Ruth if you have a story to share.

Day 30: Taking Delight

In the second of today’s blogs, we visit County Laois where Pastor Noel Cammack from Life Church in Portlaoise has been enjoying the opportunity to walk with Jesus during lockdown.

“We live in the countryside and one of the trails near our house is right next to the motorway with all the busy traffic.  On one occasion, as I was walking my mind was racing and I was looking down at my feet. But suddenly I looked up and there was a butterfly and on the other side of the path, away from the traffic, I saw all these flowers I had never seen before. The sun was shining and I could feel the heat.

“It reminded me that it is so easy to get caught up the busyness, the complexity and the chaos and not to take time to know God and take delight in Him.”

Noel has been reading Jeremiah 9: 23- 24: This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.

His daily walks have also provided opportunities to meet and chat with local people, Noel shared. One man was saying, “God must be mad at us because of this pandemic.” But Noel replied, “We are living in a broken world but I know that He is a good and loving God!”

Like so many other churches around Ireland, Life Church in Portlaoise has focused on staying connected through the lockdown, providing support for the many young families in the congregation.

They delivered care packages and encouraging messages to the nurses at the local Psychiatric Ward, concerned that they might be forgotten! Other members of the church have volunteered with the local Covid-19 community response.

Life Church, Portlaoise