No matter where you land in the chaotic "cacophony" (defined as a harsh discordant mixture of sounds), you are exposed to thoughts and emotions swirling feverishly around in our families, communities, schools, ...everywhere it seems. Whether or not you find yourself fearful or anxious, you are most likely in contact with someone in your world who is very much both. It is one thing to deal with our own feelings about the world's situation, but quite another to deal with someone else's- especially when it is on a global scale.
Several things stand out to me specifically in the uniqueness of this experience.
This is a time when we have been forced to STOP whatever we were doing in our lives and pay attention. That's not always a bad thing, but it is usually not easy. Think about it. This is not just a STOP for us or for our family. It is not just a STOP for our communities. This is a STOP for the entire world. This is an invitation for ALL humans to STOP and pay attention to what is really going on.
That, in and of itself, is significant.
2. I also sense that this is an intense season of the year. It is almost spring, but not quite. We begin to feel victorious for surviving the winter months when the sun warms up a day, only to feel the darkness of winter return to dash all of our courage when the cold, blustery, gray days hit us again. I know not everyone experiences winter this way. But I have and I know many others that do and are. We are so close to getting through but each set back causes us to want to throw up our hands and say "enough'.
Hope is so close- but not quite close enough.
3. Add to that consequences of being isolated from each other because of the threatening virus and we find ourselves struggling. Alone. Working hard to manage the emotional highs and lows and capturing our confusing thoughts.
We are facing this as a world, yet feeling like we are in it all by ourselves.
How do we cope in the middle of all this, when HOPE feels close, but not close enough?
How do we cease from being frantic in our own scenarios?
How do we help others when we are being more and more isolated from one another in the process?
Whenever we experience a STOP, we are invited to NOTICE.
Take a moment to look within yourself. Reflect on how you are really feeling in the middle of all of this. How would you describe your own thoughts and emotions. What is really going on in you? This is not about being self-centered, it's about focusing on the things you need to take care of. This is the 'put on your air mask, before you put on your childs' speech you get from the flight attendant at the start of a journey. You may feel anxious, even desperate at times. You may feel like this is\has all been over dramatized. This is not a time to judge your emotions, but to get honest about them. You can't help what you can't acknowledge.
Then take a look at others in your home, your church, your community too. Again, this is not thepay time to judge whether "they" are right or wrong in the emotions they have or the ways they choose to handle things. That's not for us to do anyway. This is a perfect time to see them, to hear their hearts, to care - even if you can't touch them physically. We can't fix this, but we can affirm their value and come alongside as they deal with their own stuff. What are some ways you can just BE present even if you not actually with them?
The most crucial noticing though is paying attention for ways that God is showing up in this scary time. With all the commotion, it is easy to forget that God has promised that "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:8 . Do you believe that?
So where do you see Him? Remember, he may not look like you expect him to look. He may be working differently than we think God would do it. I find his ways truly 'mysterious' at times, don't you? But He does have a completely different vantage point than we have. He is God. He is ALWAYS with us.
What does God, being God, knowing the hearts and minds, the fears and thoughts of every creature every where look like in the middle of a matter that concerns the whole world?
Yes, we need to ASK the questions you need to ask.
What do I need to do to protect myself and my family?
How can I deal with my emotions in a healthy way? Who do I need to help me do this?
How can I help someone I love?
How do I make the most of this moment when it has messed up all my other plans, trips, agendas?
God, where. are. you? (Come on, be honest. sometimes we wonder)
What are the questions you are asking?
But don't forget to ASK:
Where am I going to find my answers?
Who am I listening too?
Is this truth?
Then PIVOT.
We can't control the circumstances we are in, but we can control how we respond to them. Think back over the things you Notice and the answers to your Asks. Where do you need to turn around?
Maybe it is an issue of taking your eyes off the circumstances and putting them on God. The Psalmist Asaph, author of Psalm 77, gives us a great example of how to do that. In the first 10 verses of the chapter, he's getting really honest; about his circumstances and how he feels about it, about God and how Asaph thinks God should be handling things. Those verses are filled with "I", "me" and "my" statements. (Read it- in a variety of translations - he get pretty real)
But then in verse 11, the psalmist has one of these 'wait a minute' moments. He says... (i'm using the Passion Translation here)
Yet I could never forget all your miracles, my God,
as I remember all your wonders of old.
I ponder all you’ve done, Lord, musing on all your miracles.
And you know what happens next... he sees God. He finds himself in the Lord's presence.
Lord, you’re the one and only, the great and glorious God!
Your display of wonders, miracles, and power
makes the nations acknowledge you.
Hmmm? The nations, the world, sees God. The psalmist goes on to remind us of a time when the "RED SEA" saw God, another moment when entire nations of Israel and Egypt were paying attention to some hard things. The Red Sea saw God and it's waters trembled and shook, the clouds poured rain, the thunder rumbled and roared, the lightning flashed and lit up the world, (my translation).
Then he says,
Everything on earth shook and trembled as you drew near.
Your steps formed a highway through the seas
with footprints on a pathway no one even knew was there.
You led your people forward by your loving hand,
There was no escape from the rock and the hard place moment until they SAW GOD.
What if we PIVOT from looking at just the crisis to seeing God? Remember, I'm not saying don't look at what is going on- even the psalmist did that. We must notice what is happening and ask the questions that need answers.
But what if choose to respond by remembering who He is, and recalling what He has already done. RESPOND by turning our eyes to SEE GOD? We will probably still be facing this virus, still be dealing with the consequences of it, but what is the pathway that the Lord is making for us through this?
How are you responding to this situation? Is it how you want to be responding?
How are you living out what you believe about God? Do your actions and behaviors express the truth?
What do you hear God inviting you to right now?
These significant events are invitations to hear from God. I don't know what your relationship is with your Creator, though I imagine you have had some awareness of that as you have thought through some of the questions above. This time in our life is not catching Him by surprise.
So my dear friend, lean into Him now. Take the reality you/ we are experiencing and turn your eyes to see Him.
Let’s do this together.
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Hard stuff is hard enough to deal with all by itself. You don't have to do this alone.