Forged by Fire
Many of us are experiencing a very difficult time this year. It’s hard. Things are different. We don’t know if things will ever be the same. There is uncertainty everywhere. I’m reminded of the Bible story of the three Hebrew boys. They were thrown in the furnace, and yet they continued to praise God. I wonder, do we still praise God in the midst of difficulty? Do we praise God when we don’t know the outcome? But, we do. We win. We survive. We thrive. We come out unscathed. We prosper. We are forged by fire to come out as pure gold.
Crisis
noun
a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger.
By definition, we are in crisis. Our families, our careers, our health, our existence are all in crisis. I’m sure that we will all have some level of ptsd when this is all over. Things that used to seem normal will take some getting used to again. We will definitely have an adjustment period. Unfortunately, this is not something that can be resolved individually. It’s going to take a collective effort to ensure our recovery from this pandemic. We will have to rethink our health and education systems. We will have to rethink most in person interactions. What is deemed necessary? Despite the headlines, despite the panic, despite the fear, trouble don’t last always. This crisis is only for a season. This too shall pass. Eventually, the pressure will subside. The cases will lower. The risk will be less. We will survive. And hopefully, we will learn the lessons from this crisis and avert the next. Fingers crossed and prayers up. We are in this together.
Reach
I had a conversation with a good friend of mine and came to the conclusion that we are “reachers.” We are initiators. We are helpers. We are the people who will call and send text messages. We are the people who will inquire about your well-being regardless of ours. During times like these, we need reachers and we need to be reachers. Today, take the time to do a wellness check. Check-in on your family. Check-in on your friends. Make sure that they are okay. We are all going through some things. We are all being challenged in ways we never knew. Reach out!
Too Much
I think we’ve all said it. I think we’ve all felt it, especially this year. “God, this is too much!” I know I have felt that way more often than not. I have questioned if my lot was more than I can bear. I have questioned my own strength and God’s sovereignty. I have questioned God. It seems like everything is coming full force all at once with no breathing room. I’ve got more complaints than praise reports. Everything seems like doom and gloom. Headlines are straight out of Revelations. I don’t think I can take anymore. Guess what? I do. I take it one hour at a time. One day at a time. One week at a time. I threw my expectations out of the window. I revamp my “to do" list. I re-prioritize my day. I realize that some things can actually wait. The house isn’t that dirty. I have more clothes to wear, if everything doesn’t get washed. We will still eat if I don’t cook. And finally, I’m stronger than I thought. I’m not in control of anything. God is my source. Some lessons are harder than others. Some days are easier than others. Sometimes, God reminds us that our too much is not too much for Him.
It ain’t over
I know what it looks like. It looks pretty bleak. It looks like an uphill battle. It looks like there is no hope. It looks like you've finally hit rock bottom. There isn’t a visible lifeline. It may be hard to believe. All of the signs are pointing in a different direction. I just wanted to remind you, it ain’t over.
Battlefield
The real battlefield is in our minds. It's in our thoughts. It's in our fears. It's in our insecurities. It's in our hopes. It's in our desires. It's all right there making it hard to focus. We get distracted so easily. We can't see the forest for the trees. We don't read in between the lines. Stay vigilant.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Division
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
This scripture is a reminder that some struggles are spiritual. The spirit of division is running amok. We are divided by class and wealth. We are divided by our race. We are divided by our religion. We are divided in our homes. We are divided by our education. There is division everywhere. We need to recognize it, call it out and address it. The cure for the division is unity. It is recognizing that we are all God’s children. We all are created equal. We all bleed red. We all are the same and we have more in common than we think.