WHEN SWIMMING IN A SEA OF UNCERTAINTY, STAYING CONNECTED IS VITAL

3/20/2020

Uncertainty is a state of being that no one likes….and right now, no matter where you are, things feel very uncertain. In Colorado, we are staying at home and trying to keep physically distanced from others, which frankly is very difficult. All of our daily routines have been put on hold. Our church services are cancelled. No grabbing coffee with a friend. Our kids are currently living in other states. Gone are our plans for celebrating our son’s graduation from college in May. Our daughter is working from home, and not sure what her future holds next week, let alone for the months ahead. It is like a massive wave has come crashing down and we are trapped in the swirling current that leaves us disoriented and struggling to find the surface. And we feel lucky ! Other places in the world are facing a much more difficult time. We are spending a lot of time in prayer for the people in other countries, where things seem to be much worse….so much more difficult. When will things get back to normal we wonder ? How do we grapple with this ? Everything just seems crazy!

I feel really blessed to have my faith. I feel so grateful to God that He is with me each and every moment. My connection to and with Him is vital ! I am also lucky to have a family and a group of friends who are connected to Him also. This life of connection to God, and an ability to fellowship with other believers is what holds us together in times of strife and difficulty. I try to think how the people who were a part of Jesus’s life must have felt when He was crucified. Talk about swimming in a sea of uncertainty…and yet, they knew what He had told them and promised them. Those same words should be echoing in our hearts today. The promises of God for our lives are so very important to understand.

THE LORD HIMSELF GOES BEFORE YOU AND WILL BE WITH YOU; HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU. DO NOT BE AFRAID; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. Deuteronomy 31:8

THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION; WHOM SHALL I FEAR ? THE LORD IS THE STRONGHOLD OF MY LIFE, OF WHOM SHALL I BE AFRAID ? Psalm 27:1

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERY SITUATION, BY PRAYER AND PETITION, WITH THANKSGIVING, PRESENT YOUR REQUESTS TO GOD. AND THE PEACE OF GOD, WHICH TRANSCENDS ALL UNDERSTANDING, WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS. Philippians 4:6-7

Our ability to be connected to God is the gift of certainty in uncertain times. My connection to Him can’t answer every question, but it does answer the most important one. I know I am His. I don’t know what my life in this world holds, but I am secure in where I am going to spend eternity. I will be with Jesus every day for the rest of time. Today is but a step on the journey toward abiding in Him much deeper and being a more mature citizen of His Kingdom. My brothers and sisters of faith give me the strength and support to stand in the fire of the moment and move through it. Shoulder to shoulder we feel the power and the promise of what God has given each of us in abilities to discern and understand Him. We are meant to fellowship together, and lean on each other. Reach out to your friends and seek answers and comfort. Reach out to your pastor for understanding, teaching, and wisdom. In times such as these, going it alone is just not a strategy that works, or a place that you should be.

All of us wonder what the outcome of this virus will be. All of us wonder if things will ever be the same as a few short weeks ago. Only time will provide the answers….but I do know this. Families are spending more time together. Prayer has become more than occasional thing for many. Being in control of everything in our lives by our own efforts has been shown to be untrue. Counting on others and helping others in need seems much more of a focus for many. We were made by our God to love Him with all our heart and soul, and likewise our neighbors ! Move outside of yourself and seek God. Move outside of yourself and seek fellowship. Help everyone you can….and trust that our God has this, and He has us. Me and you, and our families and friends. Jesus overcame death, and has given us the promise of freedom and life everlasting when we are reborn into HIM ! JESUS IS OUR PROMISE, OUR HOPE, AND OUR FUTURE. To God be the glory and the thanks for all He has promised. Stay safe, stay faithful, and stay connected. Faith and Love/JAA

HAVE I NOT COMMANDED YOU ? BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. DO NOT BE AFRAID; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. Joshua 1:9