Will He find us faithful?

There’s so much information about Covid-19 going around. You can find everything from government conspiracy, to we are all going to die. It can be pretty overwhelming and very bleak at times.

I’ll be honest, at first I couldn’t understand what the fuss was all about. We were still planning on going on our short Spring Break trip, and we knew others still planning to head out on cruises. The news from Italy was devastating but no measures were taking place over here.

Then, it all seemed to hit the fan. We saw how easily, and how quickly, this thing was spreading. It also didn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason on who it affected and how. Schools were starting to close, vacations cancelled, and people were panicking.

And as only Americans can do, we decided the treatment for not getting sick was: Food, alcohol, and 24/7 news.

I’ve done a lot of thinking during this time about what we should do as Christians. Now, I’m not meaning whether or not we should take this seriously. That part is a no brainer to me and I’m happy to listen to the professionals on this.

The one thing I can’t shake is this though: Will God find us faithful through this time?

When our church made the tough decision to cancel in person services, we all went into overdrive figuring it out. We made videos, put out information on our website, and assembled a team to help others. It almost felt like Easter week with the amount of work there was to do.

But then I started getting excited. Not for the “time off” (remember…more work than normal), but for the opportunities. For the first time, we are taking church into homes around the world. People who would never step foot into church have the opportunity to “attend.” People who have been burned by the church and hurt by leaders and Pastors, have a non threatening way to tune in. They can give it “one more shot” without worrying about darkening the doors of the church. They can watch from their couch or bed and see people on the other side also trying to figure this thing out.

What if we, as Christians, used this time to tell even more people about the love of Christ?

People are hurting. People are scared. And unfortunately, Christians are allowing this to be one more thing that divides us. We are either mad church is open or we are mad church is closed. We think Christians don’t have enough faith or Christians are being arrogant and not using common sense. We love the President’s decisions. We hate the President’s decisions. We think our state is full of idiots. We think our state is the best ever. Millenials are to blame. No, Gen Z is to blame. And so forth and so forth.

Am I ready to be back to normal? YES! I miss physically being in church with my friends and family. I miss my kids going to school. I miss not second guessing myself every time I cough. I am truly praying this ends soon.

But in the meantime, will God find us faithful? Will He find us serving Him in this time? Worshiping Him in this time? Or have we tied our identity up so much in our routine that we don’t even know how to worship outside of the church walls?

Why do I keep doing the very thing I don’t want to do?

I’ve been thinking a lot about why we do things we don’t want to do. For instance, I don’t have a deep desire to get so sucked into the Bachelor that my weeks revolve around Monday night. But yet it happens. I also don’t envision myself watching said show with a package of Oreos in my lap. But there they are.

I also don’t plan to yell at my kids, but before I know what’s happening I hear things like: “If you don’t pick up your clothes, you’re grounded for a month.” Let’s be real…..that’s never gonna happen. The picking up of clothes OR the grounding for a month. And we all know it.

But here I am…..doing and saying the same things over and over again. The things I say I won’t do again, I continue to do.

Paul had this same problem as well. You know, Paul from the Bible. That makes me feel a little better. Even Paul continued to do the very thing he didn’t want to do.

So, if we apply this to our own life, why are we so quick to judge this very thing in others. I’ve thought a lot about our birth parents navigating the system. Navigating a system that means well, but is hard for anyone to navigate, let alone someone battling addictions, poverty, and mental illness.

I was talking to Henry’s mom the other day and realized the massive hurdle she is facing finding a job when she’s released. I’ve been asking around and keep getting the same answer….”yes, we have a lot of programs that will hire unskilled labor. Things like sanitation, late night clean up after concerts, physical labor, and so forth.” Now, don’t get me wrong…these are good programs.

But, for someone already battling physical pain and addiction, it’s probably not the best idea for her to be in a labor type job. When I’m on my feet all day, the first thing I want when I get home is a stiff Tylenol and melatonin. These are my drugs of choice.

However, that looks very different when that’s not your drug of choice. It looks like relapsing and doing the very thing you don’t want to do. It looks like a statistic and we can’t figure out why they can’t break this habit, or remain clean.

As a Christian, it looks like me constantly asking for help to navigate the things in life that I can’t seem to give up. It looks like a support system, a church family, a loving husband, etc.

Peter (the disciple, not the bachelor) cried out for help with this very issue. Maybe we should realize that if he struggled with it, we are guaranteed to have a hard time. Perhaps it’s time to recognize the struggle. Call it out. Get some accountability. Open up your walls to those around you. Invite them to your table.

And for goodness sakes; quit putting certain expectations on people who are thrown back into the exact situation that got them there in the first place.