I wrote this last month before Easter but did’t have a chance to finish it. Today as I’m at my computer striving to get through a ton of work while trying to sort out thoughts and decisions, I needed to be reminded of this. We are going on two months of – waiting. We are all waiting. When we start to make plans, everything changes and we continue to sit and wait.
As I’ve followed my own heart, how I’ve waited has varied drastically, from being still and calm to panicked and tightness in my chest. I’ve also experienced every feeling between those two extremes, but yet I wait. Yet we wait.
Waiting to have stay at home orders loosened.
Waiting to see if the decisions made will cause a second wave that will force us back into stay at home orders.
Waiting for the good news of a vaccine or something tangible.
Waiting for people to make wise decisions and think of others.
Waiting.
Throughout these two months of #LifeInQuarantine I’ve been encouraged by Easter and the Resurrection. I like to put myself in the shoes of people in the Bible to try to imagine what life for them was like. There’s lots of waiting moments throughout the Bible. The moment that I come back to more than ever is the time between Jesus’ burial and resurrection.
Imagine being one of Jesus’ disciples on good Friday, then on Saturday.
Imagine how they felt. They gave up everything to follow him and what did it end with?
Their “savior” being crucified, hanging on a cross and cursed.
They were devastated, confused and desperate.
They grieved beyond belief.
They were scared, hiding out hoping the same fate didn’t wait for them.
They waited.
I’ve sat in this story more times in my life and tried to imagine being them, even though I now know the outcome, they didn’t. I imagine the way they felt is, to a significantly greater degree much like I’ve felt over this time.
Then I ask the what came from this all? What did God do?
This is what gives me hope.
From death came LIFE.
From ugliness came BEAUTY.
From betrayal, confusions and doubt came DEVOTION, CERTAINTY and FAITH.
I needed to sit in this once again today and be reminded of what God can do. He can do more than we can imagine!