Ready or Not

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.  Romans 12:12

Believe it or not, this disturbing and tragic time of pandemic will be over.  It has been indescribably unnerving, life-changing and traumatic on many levels.  And yet, God has been faithful to use it in many good ways, too, perhaps, in ways we have not yet understood. 

We have heard many people comment on how this danger has brought families together, caused us to appreciate little things more, and forced us to slow down to re-evaluate our lives.  For those of us who are believers in Jesus, it has drawn us closer to God, caused us to be more dependent on him and grateful for all he has done.

So, let us imagine that next week we could actually, realistically, see the end of this painful time, what would you have learned?  As you look back at it, what would you not want to forget?  What changes do you still want to occur?  What things had you hoped you would have learned, but still haven’t? 
 
It is still not too late.  Why not write your list down?  Then ask God what he wants to tell you about it.  We know he has something more for us to understand before the end of Covid19.  What would that be for you personally? May I challenge you to ask Jesus?

Dear friend, may you overflow with confident hope for the future, believing that you belong to a faithful God who loves and protects you and gives you all you need. As you stop and journal, may you be encouraged about what God has done and what he has taught you.  Then, may you take the opportunities God gives you to encourage others armed with what you learned. Amen.

Mary Sumner, June 17, 2020