But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you; and through the rivers,
they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
~Isaiah 43:1-2
For two days I have made attempts to write something about our current reality. I deleted words, sentences, and paragraphs until I finally felt so overwhelmed I decided to write about feeling overwhelmed.
I am overwhelmingly humbled by the reality that at this moment in time, I am no different from those I walk past at a distance, fellow citizens of our nation, or people on the other side of the globe. No one is immune from this virus. We are all in this together which is comforting in a unique way.
Because it’s Lent, I am overwhelmingly compelled to recognize that I am not immune from sin either. I want to blame. I am ever so quick to think I know what others should or should not be doing. I am annoyed that my daily life has been constrained. I am frustrated with myself for being so afraid. I fight my instinct to horde resources.
I was under the illusion that I am more giving and kind. And I was almost certain I have more faith than I can muster at two-o’clock in the morning when I am most prone to panic. I am still waking up to the reality of living with uncertainty.
In my most despairing moments, I ask God to tell me what is ahead or at least when the end will come. God’s response came from the prophet Isaiah. Our current circumstance is not too overwhelming for God. We are passing through murky waters and walking through frantic fires. But God has redeemed us and is redeeming us in his time. Easter will come.
As always, the Lord who created and formed us invites us to draw near. We have such good news to fearlessly share with others. We are overwhelmingly loved by the Lord who graciously calls each of us by name.
If my words have ministered to you in any way please pass this along. I am not on social media but rely on you to help me encourage others.
Come Learn Rest Ministries 