The year 2020 has rocked our world.
In January, we never dreamed of being in the middle of a global pandemic, yet in March we began to see that this year was going to be anything but normal. As we spent three months at home, a sense of “normalcy” was missing. We longed to be face to face with friends and family, to worship together in person on Sundays, to travel and keep plans intact. The one word that continues to come to mind during this pandemic is the word “uncertainty.” It’s difficult to make plans when there is so much uncertainty in our lives.
We don’t know what tomorrow will look like, but God does. And that’s what keeps me hopeful during this season of life. He knows, and He will guide us through each day. He has a purpose for all things, and I am confident He is accomplishing His purpose in our lives through this pandemic. My prayer is that we come out of this stronger in our faith and more in love with Him than ever before.
At the beginning of our shelter-at-home directive and not being able to gather together in person in our churches, we adjusted to joining with others through livestream services and zoom Sunday school gatherings. During that time, my pastor, Cole Huffman, asked us to consider three questions:
-
What has been taken away?
-
What has remained the same?
-
What is an unexpected gift during this time?
For me, I miss the in-person community and a sense of normalcy. In terms of what has remained the same, I’ve still been able to work and maintain relationships (just not as much in person). An unexpected gift has been a slower pace and time to deepen my relationship with the Lord with less busyness.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on those questions.
During our stay-at-home time, I did short Facebook Live devotionals for my Women’s Ministry. If you need some encouragement, check them out here. (I call it my “Coffee Cup series.”)