May, 2020: Change. It’s a mighty scary word for only having 6 letters. Yet it’s the only word that described every single person’s world right now. Change in work and school locales, spiritual endeavors, shopping trips, eating habits, and, well just about everything else.
While it is a new decade, no one anticipated the complete blow up of normal life like the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. Along with change comes uncertainty and insecurity in all aspects of life. Goodbye vacations. Forget about visiting family and friends. And then there’s the unforeseen misses that are difficult or impossible to make up later. The major birthday and anniversary milestones, graduation from high school and college, weddings, funerals, and the loss of a family member without adequate goodbyes.
But who says change has to be all negative? Our family has experienced some big and unexpected changes completely unrelated to the coronavirus. Different things, and mostly good things, but still, they take some adjusting to, like missing our family vacation to Disney, a change in family wheels, new to us playground equipment, and of course, a change in family budget like everybody else.
The tough part about all of this the unknown. When will it be over? When will our lives be restored to a semblance of normal, even though it may be a new normal instead of a return to all things familiar? While I surely don’t have the answer, I can only point to the One who does. I recently read this passage from Psalm 62:5-8:
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him in all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
It is said that it sometimes takes us busy people the silence of nothing, no meetings, no priorities, no distractions, and perhaps the uncertainty of life to drive us to our knees. That moment where the only direction left to look for inspiration is up. This just might be that time. Take this pause in life to investigate more, find answers to the big questions of life (or at least investigate those questions), and fill up this bonus time with heart to heart conversations with the little and big people right here in our very home, or maybe through the assist of a computer, phone, or television screen.
The passage above starts out with the idea that our soul should wait upon God, and anticipate an answer of hope. If we can slow down and take some time to listen to God in silence, He and His Word can fill us with confidence in the future He has in store for each of us, far greater than any expectations we may have. Rest in faith, take heart in the solace that God’s Word offers us, and stay close and reach out to those you love. These times, soon, will be recent history. Let’s not waste a day!