For Such a Time as This

I'm not sure where this blog finds you, maybe boarded up in your house, hiding from the big and scary world, or continued on your daily routine unphased by the looming virus and lack of toilet paper. Or maybe you are somewhere in between. I know I've gone back in forth wrestling my fear into submission, taking every step possible to let my faith win out over what I see. The verse I've been constantly reminded of these past few weeks is

John 16:33, I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

The things Jesus was telling the disciplines were hard things to hear, hearing he would die and leave them. But promise of the Holy Spirit to walk with them and in them and guide them in each decision and trial life would inevitably come their way. Jesus said this to his beloved right before he took the cross for all of humanity. In what should have been his most panicked and fearful moment, Jesus choose to speak peace and comfort to the people around him. He used his platform to promote a sense of assurance, that even in the worst of the worst situation we could imagine, we do not need to lose heart, but instead rest in him, the one who defeated every evil thing that could ever try and haunt us. In him we are guaranteed the victory even in the struggle.

Amongst all the pandemonium and panic of an unknown virus and an unknown future, this additional thought lingers in my mind, if we as children of the most high King truly believe in his sovereignty can we then trust that nothing is out of his hands? Even a run-away virus screaming at us from every social media outlet and news station. That in him, his death and resurrection, we are assured victory and peace despite the insurmountable troubles we face in this world. And in that assurance can we take a step back and think for a moment about who God has created us to be and what he has called us to stand for? What if, just what if we truly believed that we have been created for such a time as this. That is not any were close to a coincidence that each of us is living through this panic in exactly this year, on exactly this day for a special and specific purpose.

What if we dared to boldly step away from and let go of the talk and hubbub that rips our joy away and grasp tightly to our savior asking what our place in all of this is supposed to be. At the very least each of us believers are called to stand in faith against evil. Sickness is evil at its finest, seeming to threaten our very existence. But taking it a step further think about who you are as a wife, a mother, a sister and friend, a teacher, a nurse, a musician, a waitress, a blogger, a secretary, and the list goes on. These callings and gifting were not given to you by mistake and we each have an incredible platform to nurture peace and love back into the hearts of the people around us, just as Jesus did before his death. In each and every situation we face we can use our gifting's to bless the people in our community, no matter how big or small that is. It will take some sacrifice on our part. Sacrificing our runaway fears on the altar of God who says he is big enough to protect us, to surround us in our daily activities and to anoint us with words and strength to speak to those people he brings us in contact with.

See the really awesome thing here is, we, like Jesus, know the end of the story. Jesus knew walking to the cross would be excruciating, not only for him but the people who loved him. But he also knew the incredible ending in his defeat of the grave and his resurrection. And we have this gift too. We know how this end. It always ends with Jesus getting all the glory and working good for his people. While the middle might be really icky and our hearts are so tempted to fear. We cannot give into that fear that! In doing so we say that we believe Satan is more victorious in this virus than who our Savior is, who the creator of the universe is. And I think when we step back and evaluate that, we know that's not the side we want to stand on. We stand with Jesus. Allowing him to be our guide, trusting him to bring us wisdom in each decision we make through this process and ultimately trusting him that where he guides us, he will protect us. And knowing he will provide for us, over and over.

I confidently believe we HAVE been created for this exact moment to be a voice of hope in this dark world. To each of us that will look different according to our calling. But we each have a very important mission here. To continue to show God's love wherever we are and to whoever he brings us. In closing I pray a special blessing over each of you that reads that. That you will be covered with peace and health in the days ahead. This too will end. I'm so thankful our Savior get the final say. He already knows the exact moment in time when with one word this virus will die. And every single moment in-between we can be wrapped in his peace being so certain he is with us!!