If I hear the words, "Because of COVID" one more time!... It seems that our world has been changed forever by the Coronavirus, Covid-19. Will we ever get back to our normal lives? Meeting freely with our friends and family, going shopping at any store without social distancing, or being able to breathe normally once again because we don't have to cover our faces with a mask? Or, even more seriously, a life without worrying about our loved ones getting sick or even dying? This past year has been a blur, trying to sort out the facts from the lies we are given, especially on social media and the news. An election year has only made everything worse as ALL topics became political. We have seen our true colors show so vividly when we are weak and hurting.
I've heard the line, "Faith Over Fear" quite a bit during the past months and I agree with this sentiment. When we hear the news, it is saturated with story lines that cause fear, even if it is based on fact. When this happens, we have a choice to make: either we let that fear consume us, or we take the facts into consideration and use our common sense to carefully navigate our new lives. And it's not really just one or the other, is it? Yes, we will have fearful moments. We are human. But, as a Christian, I know that God is in control of the future...for ALL mankind. That is HOPE! He has each one of our days numbered, whether you believe that or not. It is TRUTH.
I know that this Christmas will be so different from any that we have ever experienced and that makes me sad. I want to be with family and friends and to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus, with the ones I love. And I know that you do too. But let's take comfort in the TRUE meaning of this season. That Jesus came to this earth as a sacrifice to save us from the penalty of death and sin so that we can have a new life with Him for eternity if we choose to accept Him and all that He has done for us. He is our "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God. Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6, NLT)
Has this pandemic changed you? Have you learned from it? I know it's changed me, probably for the rest of my life. We've all learned to be more flexible, more resourceful and creative, and hopefully, to bear with one another more abundantly. But even beyond these things, have you decided in your own heart to let God have control? It's the only way we will make it through the coming days with hope. I know a vaccine is coming soon, but even that isn't our true hope. And, thinking more about it, maybe we shouldn't just long to get back to "normal." Maybe we should take the things we've learned and make a new normal. One that is gracious, flexible, creative, giving, and learning to lean on the only ONE that can bring us through. Let's use this pandemic for good, for change, and a chance to bring HOPE to a lost world.
I've heard the line, "Faith Over Fear" quite a bit during the past months and I agree with this sentiment. When we hear the news, it is saturated with story lines that cause fear, even if it is based on fact. When this happens, we have a choice to make: either we let that fear consume us, or we take the facts into consideration and use our common sense to carefully navigate our new lives. And it's not really just one or the other, is it? Yes, we will have fearful moments. We are human. But, as a Christian, I know that God is in control of the future...for ALL mankind. That is HOPE! He has each one of our days numbered, whether you believe that or not. It is TRUTH.
I know that this Christmas will be so different from any that we have ever experienced and that makes me sad. I want to be with family and friends and to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus, with the ones I love. And I know that you do too. But let's take comfort in the TRUE meaning of this season. That Jesus came to this earth as a sacrifice to save us from the penalty of death and sin so that we can have a new life with Him for eternity if we choose to accept Him and all that He has done for us. He is our "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God. Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6, NLT)
Has this pandemic changed you? Have you learned from it? I know it's changed me, probably for the rest of my life. We've all learned to be more flexible, more resourceful and creative, and hopefully, to bear with one another more abundantly. But even beyond these things, have you decided in your own heart to let God have control? It's the only way we will make it through the coming days with hope. I know a vaccine is coming soon, but even that isn't our true hope. And, thinking more about it, maybe we shouldn't just long to get back to "normal." Maybe we should take the things we've learned and make a new normal. One that is gracious, flexible, creative, giving, and learning to lean on the only ONE that can bring us through. Let's use this pandemic for good, for change, and a chance to bring HOPE to a lost world.
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