When life is packed with stress and chaos, it’s crucial to hold onto the things that keep you grounded. For me, these past few crazy weeks, the arrival of freshly made ginger cake by two faithful women has been a steadying grace.

I did joke that if we taste gingerbread when the building work is done, we won’t like the association! But at the moment when the walls are coming down and the kitchen is not plugged in, it’s the small, unchanging things that keep us steady. Like toast after a medical procedure or a cup of tea in the hospital waiting room. Life might be falling apart, but hold onto your warm cup and be comforted.

Is life a storm for you right now? Can you find one thing or person who can be your steady anchor? I take solace in a warm bed, a hot shower or the calming hugs from people close by. Whatever helps.

I wonder what people do in war zones. How do they carry on? I’ve noticed on the news that people often seem to gather together. The tents might be flimsy, the bombs may keep falling, parents might have died, but still the suffering stand beside each other.

Who can you stand beside today? If you feel alone, have courage and ask for help. And remember, as I’ve said before, God is with you too.

Maybe we all need to learn how to make ginger cake.