Lately, there has been a lot of talk of fear. Fear in the media, fear of going out shopping, fear of encountering others. COVID-19. The Corona Virus. It’s everywhere and you’d basically have to be living under a rock to not know about it now. The very name of it can cause of feeling of anxiety because of the way it has rocked our world. Plans of this spring and early summer are being cancelled, businesses shut down, schools closed. These things which are out of our control can weigh heavily on us and cause us to loose any motivation or interest in what we can do from home. We go from busy, chaotic lives to having too much time on our hands than we know what to do with. This season of life has changed what we are so used to so drastically, its easy to forget that we still have responsibilities and things we should be doing. So instead of focusing on all the negativity the recent events have brought, I want to focus on how we LIVE through these times.
In the Bible, John tells us that Jesus calls us to life in Christ, life in abundance (Jn 10:10). But what does this mean? The word life can have many meanings, but my favorite is to make one’s home in a particular place or with a particular person. In essence, it is to remain. Abundance means to have an overflow, to have plentiful amount of the good things in life. I mean, take a moment. Let that sink in. The fact that by using just two little words, we are called- by Jesus himself– to remain in the overflowing goodness of Christ. Danggggg…… that is crazy!!
Now I know the season we are in right now is full of obstacles and challenges that are brand new because we are seemingly trapped at home 24/7. All these things, like school, work, or church, which were at one point just a constant, permanent part of life. But now they are stripped away and we are left with… what? It can be so easy to become angry, or frustrated when things fall apart in ways we never could have guessed. And I’m definitely not discounting emotions- they help show us the state of our heart! But what do we do when these no-longer permanent things come undone? We must come back to the question: Who or what is it that we are remaining or residing in? Is it temporary relationships, circumstances or objects? Or is it the One who will never change, who is constant through any season we may be facing?
One of my biggest struggles is remaining in God in the times I feel desolated. The word desolated means (to me) unable to feel, hear or be with someone you long for. Its easy for me to give God my thoughts, praise and thanks when everything is working out or I can see His hand moving or I feel His presence in a small but strong way. But many times, those moments don’t last and I feel alone. It can be extremely hard to continue to praise God or even give Him some thought when I can’t see Him or feel Him in my life. But it is those times that I know I must choose to continue to live the same way for Him by remaining with Him. And the times I do feel or see Him, I need to hold fast to so as to remember them later in a time of desolation. The Father knows what cross is headed our way. He knows that if we put faith in Him- more than just by words, but to really give Him our hearts- we can and will continue living fully.
You’ve probably heard this verse before, but honestly try to think about how this would change your life: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” -Proverbs 27:1
Basically, don’t place all your hope and life in the future. We aren’t guaranteed even the next few minutes. The only thing we know is the present moment and we have the power to choose to live! What is we lived our life everyday as if it was our last? I don’t just mean do it half-heartedly to mark it off the list. But to really put all our effort into what we are doing, with everything we have. Not afraid if we succeed or fail, but that we will go on trying to best live our unique, individually planned lives. It may seem like a big task, or that you need the “right environment” like throwing a friend a party, not sitting at home trying to maintain focus on online school. But in reality, there is no “right environment” for trying to fully live. I mean, its what our whole lives are meant to be- not just the good parts. Even if right now all you feel is lifeless, worthless or empty, I am telling you that God has put life in you that the world is craving!! Imagine- the word craving a powerful desire for something. And you can provide what it wants, not matter how small or unnecessary you feel. It may be doing a little something more than just sitting on a phone or computer all day. There are actually so many ways you can brighten other’s day, even amidst this social distancing. Little things like writing a letter or making a goofy family lip-sync battle and challenge others to try it (not speaking from experience at all here…:) For me, these have been ways to keep my community I can’t physically be with alive and part of my life still.
In speaking about the Corona Virus and how it has shook the ENTIRE world, I will say that as of right now, my mission trip has not been cancelled. A few minor dates have changed, but the plan is still rolling to be headed to Africa in September! Praying that this will all settle down over the next five months, but I know God has seen this coming and that He has a plan bigger than what I can see with it. I will do my best to keep you updated on any plan changes over the next few months!
But in truth, no matter what you do, who your with, or where you are YOUR LIFE is meant to be lived ABUNDANTLY. So what if we lived our life everyday as if it was our last?
In Christ,
Abby
