As I write this post, our world is experiencing an unprecedented public health crisis as it faces the novel COVID-19 virus.
Schools are closed.
Malls are closed.
Movie theaters are closed.
The NBA and NCAA tournaments are cancelled.
Bars stood empty on St. Patrick's Day.
95% of flights are cancelled.
Even the "happiest place on Earth"--Walt Disney World--stands closed.
As so many of us know all too well, the list goes on and on.
It reminds us how weak we truly are--how much we really don't know, or how little we can truly accomplish, with our marvels of modern medicine.
The current pandemic reminds us that we are never in control--even if we live so many of our days under the delusion that we are.
Isn't it so ironic, that in God's economy, the weak shame the strong, and the humble are lifted up above the proud? Therefore, is it not surprising that God would use a tiny, microscopic thing (like a virus particle!) to wield the power to shut down the entire world? So interesting.
Friend, I've taken some time off from the blog to process my call. Pray. Seek God. In truth, I hesitate to chime into the cacophony of voices and opinions online right now.
But I must speak for just a moment at such a time as this.
More than ever, people need to see and read truth--God's truth.
I cannot deny that I write from a place of privilege right now--as I get to "rest" and spend more time with family during this time of social distancing. Others do not have the same luxury; in fact, there will be many people who will not be OK after this is said and done; they will be financially destitute, ill, dead, or in other ways devastated on unprecedented levels.
I want to be keenly sensitive to that.
Everyone is processing this crisis in their own way. We have the joke-crackers, the meme forwarders; we have the doom-and-gloomers. People are worried, anxious, sad, lonely, scared, and for many school-aged children across our nation, bored!
I think that for many folks, they are dealing with (perhaps for the first time!) hard things like questions of life purpose and uncertainty with where they will spend eternity after this life is over.
It is an interesting time, for sure.
There can be no doubt: God is quieting all our busy-ness. He is clearing our schedules.
He is standing ready to speak into this time, to those of us who are listening.
(If you haven't been giving Him your attention up to this point, perhaps He has it now?)
I must ask us all:
Will we listen in to what He has for us in this season, dear one?
Will we slow down and take in His Word each day?
Will we ask Him to do a fresh work in our lives right now?
Let us humble ourselves and listen with attentive ears to all He has to teach us, dear friend.
And may His mercy and love be felt in tangible ways to us this week!
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." --Revelation 3:20
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