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We sit alone in our homes, sequestrated in a time of uncertainty – self isolating during a global pandemic.

For weeks now the whole world seemed to grind to a complete halt. With access to a global news network we had information early on about the COVID-19 virus and it’s spread across the globe. We had daily updates at our fingertips as we learned of countries changing the way they live, of hospitals becoming overwhelmed and of countries shutting entirely down.

Then – it happened here.

There are no words to express what happened next because each of our stories are different. How I have experienced this pandemic so far is quite different than how you have. While you might not know anyone effected, someone else might know many. It’s a kaleidoscopic mixture of experiences fraught with emotional consequences. Who we are as people, as a nation and as the kingdom of God has been challenged.

We are no longer meeting together as we normally do. Work became remote. Places of business and worship closed their doors. The ways of connection and community shifted. The struggle to return to “normal” is fraught with unanswered questions and uncertainty.

Where will our focus be as we rotate the kaleidoscope of our lives and return to life?

Perhaps that answer lies in where your focus has been throughout this unprecedented time. What has been your experience? How exactly have you spent these months when the world stopped? I am sure there were moments of boredom, of worry, of sadness and even joy. What will be your take away from this pandemic experience?

For many, there will be suffering.

Suffering of lives lost. Suffering of families who lost a loved one and couldn’t say goodbye since they couldn’t go to the hospital. Suffering of people dying alone in hospitals. Suffering of elderly people in nursing homes around the country who can’t see loved ones. Suffering of men, woman, and children of all ages who got sick fighting for breath and searching for answers from inefficient testing and doctors doing the best they can to diagnose something so novel and new they were often shooting in the dark.

So much suffering.

Impoverished black men and women working in hospitals with no PPE. Women trapped at home with abusers, predators in their own home continuing a long cycle of abuse. Young girls and boys exploited and preyed upon by family members. Single Mom’s working hard to care for children when their self employment career offers no unemployment benefits. Homeless men, women and children remaining on the streets rather than going to a shelter.

Proms cancelled. Graduations ceremonies cancelled. Weddings cancelled. Anniversary celebrations shifted to Zoom meetings. Birthday parties celebrated by drive by parades. Family reunions, summer gatherings, business meetings, conventions, knitting groups, books clubs – so much we look forward too, changed.

We are a nation filled with people who are suffering. Real suffering. Some physical, but some also emotional and relational. As a nation and a people we strive to face the grief we are overwhelmed by as we mourn lives lost and lives changed. We are now facing harsh realities we can’t escape from. Loneliness and isolation cry out for us to return to normal to help ease not only our financial burdens but our relational one’s as well. We long for community and crave for a return to “normal.”

Is your heart open to see the suffering around you? When people are hurting in your own life, your families, your friends, your neighbors. How do you cope? In what ways are you walking in community with those who are hurting? Does your heart remain open or are you falling into a comparative suffering, comparing your experience and suffering to that of someone else?

We are in the midst of a global pandemic which may last for some time. Perhaps we will have spikes of increased cases as we ride this wave which could extend into next year or even longer. I hear and see the clamoring to get our lives back to normal and I have to pause and ask myself – what is “normal”?

In Matthew chapter 22 Jesus Christ was asked one of the deepest and richest questions of all time. In the midst of uncertainty when faced with all the miracles and teachings of Christ a Pharisee, who is a religious teacher, asked Jesus,“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22: 36-40)

If there is one thing we can learn from Jesus is that all the Messianic Law and Prophets written before Jesus walked the earth could be summed up in these few verses. Love God with all that you are and love your neighbor as you love yourself. What paramount meaning for life! What would our world look like if we based our decisions and life experiences upon these truths?

Love God. Love yourself. Love others.

Perhaps you don’t believe in God. Perhaps you question His existence wondering what type of supreme being would allow such suffering to come to the earth he supposedly created?

Maybe you struggle with loving yourself and accepting who you are and your place in this world. If you have this identity crisis it could make it difficult to love others when you don’t know how to love yourself. During this time of self isolation you may find your internal struggle amplified.

Jesus simplifies His teachings into these three areas Love God, love yourself and love others. Jesus never qualified who those “others” are. They could be someone with a different political affiliation or policy than you adhere to. It could be someone much richer than you who isn’t suffering financially during this time. It could be someone poorer than you who doesn’t know how to put food on their table. It could be someone unemployed who doesn’t have access to health care and has difficultly getting necessary medical treatment. It could be the person terrified to leave their home due to their underlying health issues during this pandemic. It could be the worker who never stopped working this whole time. It could be the elderly stuck inside dependent on others.

So many others.

We would like to think we love others until that “other” person is us. Until we fall into that category of someone suffering, or something infected, of someone not working, or not knowing how they will pay their mortgage. Of someone exposed to the virus at work and in self quarantine. Of someone so lonely in isolation for so long they ache for connection.

Worry creeps in. Sadness fills our hearts as we mourn those who died but can’t be there to bury them. Fear comes knocking as we are unsure of what’s next. We struggle to find an emotional way to move on when there is no closure. Yet we open our laptops and see the news filled with a push to move forward, to open, to return.

Until you know someone who has suffered from the virus and seen what it can do, it’s hard to understand it’s impact. The larger percentage of the population sits back and talks about their boredom, their bread making, their ways they filled their days – while people die and families mourn.

Love others as yourself.

Are we as a nation, a people, looking out for others? We can’t desire to call ourselves a Christian nation, nor strive to get us to be one – without embodying the walk of Jesus Christ. All you have to do is read the news, see the footage of protesters rallying for their rights, hear the talk about personal liberties being infringed upon and give pause. I read recently that fear is being used as a tool to divide us all. Scroll through your newsfeed and see where people stand.

What if we embraced the fear that people have been experiencing as a way to love them?

Stop quoting Scripture and moving on. Stop talking about your trust in God as being enough. Because I ask you, is it? Is it enough to trust God but not love His people? We can live in our self imposed glass houses of faith and think they will protect us – until they shattered beneath our feet.

Open your Bible. Read those red words of Jesus. See what Jesus did while He walked this earth. He didn’t just stand still when people where afraid. He didn’t just quote Scripture to cast things out so that we do the same. He walked into the deep end of peoples lives. He embraced their pain. He comforted those who mourned. He listened and did not judge. He stepped out of the synagogue and into their hearts.

Jesus stood firm – love God, love yourself and love others.

If we want to really love others, we need to get out of ourselves, our rights, our liberties. We need to get out of the familiarity of our church buildings, our church friends, our camps, our retreats and get out in this world. Because my friends Jesus tells us, “… open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35b) 

The fields are ripe for harvest!

The world is hurting, and will be for some time. What will we do Christian? Will you remain enclosed in spiritual houses and use only those houses to reach out? Will you remain encamped in your small enclaves doing what you can in your communities? Are you willing to burst out of what you know and trust the Spirit to lead you in uncertain times for God? We are in a global pandemic and if it’s not our time to shine the light of God’s love for the world, when will it be?

Faith filled followers are called to love others.

Consider today you can love someone new. Even in your quarantine. Even as you wear your mask. Even as you transition out of the home into the world again. What will your example be? Embrace the uncomfortable and do the right thing even if you don’t fully agree with someone. Do the right thing as consider others more than yourself. Become the feet of Jesus in a world full of suffering.

Stop comparing suffering – everyone’s heart maters. Comparative sufferings only minimizes the hearts that need healing. Nothing is more important, or more essential, then bringing hope to hurting hearts. Bring the light and love of Jesus to people and their homes, their communities and lives.

We have a great opportunity before us my friends, the fields are ripe for harvest. Love God. Love yourself and embrace the pain in your own life. Love others.

People are afraid. People need hope. People need love.

Shine your light.

“ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:3-16)

Yes.

I’ve spent my life saying yes. Yes to love, yes to service, yes to giving. Firmly planted in my mind from an early age, I certainly thought it was the “Christian” thing to do. It’s what I believed. It’s what I was taught. It was reinforced by interactions with others. Yes was the answer.

Wasn’t it?

All those years of saying yes created a frantic, unbalanced, personal life. Much yes of doing, of going and giving brought about stress in relationships, tension in my home life, pressure that paralyzed me. I became captive to the expectations of others and even more so to expectations of myself. The more I did, and found appreciation and acceptance by others – the more I moved into that direction.

Thinking this was God’s call for me at the time, I wonder if I was wading through the acceptance of others looking for God’s approval? Maybe that love I so desperately looked for, I hoped with each yes it would become clearer that God really did love me. With each blog post, each lesson given, each ministry opportunity faced and accomplished, I found more peace that I had a place. Perhaps it was filling a need for others, but it certainly wasn’t fulfilling the needs of those I loved the most. With each yes to others, it was a no to those I cared for the deepest.

I had it wrong.

Had I been richly blessed in the process? Most definitely. I have made deep friendships. I have fostered relationships for the growth of teens and women who want to know God more. My passion for them, and for God spilled out into service in a natural way. I appeared whole, yet inwardly my life was a mess.

There was a time of knowing what my world was and living in it brought some contentment to life on this side of eternity. It was full of church events, ministry and busy days. It was neat and orderly on the outside. I see now I had trusted in what I had done rather than who I am.  I said yes, often. God had to teach me no. He had to reveal that all this yes wasn’t making me healthy, making me whole or making me His. How could I know in the deepest parts of me that I am enough if I spent my life a slave to the expectations of others?

Saying no is healthy.

Let me share with you a story about Jesus.

 ^“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.”

Jesus chose to get up to be alone. He chose to walk away from the people of the village. He chose to go and seek out a solitary place. Jesus chose to pray. So many choices He made that we rarely stop to ponder! Isn’t it difficult to do this sometimes? As an extroverted-introvert,  I am finding that my love of people can overtake my introverted self. Not so with Jesus. He loved people. He served them. He even healed them at times. But here He is protecting his space and determining to be alone.

How often do you protect yours?

Do you find yourself frantic during the long days like I have? Have you found you go from one thing to another in a blink of an eye? Jesus knew the days were long but He also knew they were numbered. He knew His time was short and the value of being alone with His Father.

Before we leave Jesus in his solitary space, look again. When Simon and the disciples awoke, they didn’t see Jesus so they went looking for Him. When they found Him they said, “Everyone is looking for you!” Wow. Everyone? That’s a tall order. But look what Jesus did. He didn’t worry and run to them and say, “let’s go to them.” No. Instead Jesus said, “Let’s go somewhere else.”

Wait, what?

People are needing you and you are saying let’s leave? Yes, that’s exactly what He did. Jesus knew His purpose. He told the disciples, “this is why I have come.” Although He had spent time in that village the time had come for Him to go and move on. Jesus valued His time understanding that loving people was God’s plan for Him. He was clear in His purpose.

Are you?

Do you know in your inner being what God’s desire is for you? After spending time alone with the Father, Jesus was energized to fulfill His purpose. He didn’t hesitate. I long for the day when what flows from my inner being matches the will of the Father. Don’t you?  The days I spend quietly with God help determine that alignment. If I spent some time alone with God before all the craziness starts, the more calm of the day I have. Yet how often do I say no to others expectations, like Jesus did, to further walk in the purpose of God? Friends, there is power is no.

Saying no is key to unlocking the freedom of yes, for you.

Don’t believe the lies that circle in good faith building communities. Sharing lessons, ministry, and life won’t make you more complete. Attending every event, every community service project and all retreats won’t do it either. Giving even when you have nothing left to give is not what our Father desires. Nope, He wants you full! He wants you with Him first and foremost. He wants your heart alone with His. Let His Spirit speak to yours and when He is ready it shall overflow to many. Become a cheerful giver. If you are a person stretched beyond yours means, I encourage you. Stop giving to others, and give to yourself.

Give yourself love. Give yourself hope. Give yourself time.

Let the example of Jesus speak to you. Find solitude. Find communion with God. Let Him speak to you. Giving yourself this gift is a fulfillment of God’s plan for you. Don’t believe the lies that self sacrifice means saying no to who you are. Self denial and sacrificing your identity as a person are two different things entirely. Become who you were destined to be. Use your purpose to glorify God. With every breath live a life of love resting in His arms.

If you need to get up early to do that, say yes. If you need to say no to others so you can make it happen, give yourself permission. If you need to let Him refine His purpose and imprint it on your heart, let Him. Give, to you.

Let your answer be yes, and watch Him work!

 

Here I am.

In the quiet of the day, the notes rise and fall with the beating of my heart. I hear your voice in the strings as they stretch, in the keys as they explore and in the notes that flow from the brass horns. Orchestrating a symphony in my heart is the One who created music Himself. Your love, oh God, expands with each breathe, Your love, oh God, rewrites beauty from the fallen notes of our daily lives. Your love, oh God, whispers to our souls, composing beauty from the brokenness, inviting us into your holy throne room, “come.”

Come!

Come to my presence. Sit at my feet. Do not fear. Do not  fear, for I AM here with you. I AM. Fear will stop you. Fear will blind you. Fear may enrage you. Dear One, the melody I am composing for you – is not for you to hear. I only ask you to waltz through your life with me, following the notes that I compose upon your heart, leading you, guiding you, safely – to me.

I AM.

Beloved child, find beauty in your sadness. Rejoice with me. For I AM your Mighty God and I know what I have planned for you. Trust me. Know that I AM yours, as you my child are mine.  Let us live in the movement of music, reverberating through the pages of time. Let us make melody in our hearts with the Holy One. Daughter, Son – chosen one.

You were made for moments like this.

When all you have tried, all you have done, all you sought – was to be my child. Lay yourself at my feet. You struggle, you question, you pause and wonder how I could love your wonderful soul. When, oh child, will you finally believe?

I AM

What will it take to clean out all the crevices of your heart and find my name written on your walls? My name my child. My name defines you. My name upholds you. My name heals you. My name. I AM.

Whom is on the throne of your heart? How can you love all of me my child, when you refrain from offering up every part of you? Can you hear my voice echoing, bouncing off the shadowed walls – the dark, hard places where worry tracks familiar worn paths deep within your heart? I want to write my name Dear One, oh it will hurt my child, but my name heals. Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” My friend, Jesus, is the way.  

I AM

What must I do to gain your complete attention? “No one can serve two masters. If you try, you will wind up loving the first master and hating the second, or vice versa.” Matthew 6:24.  I want your full attention, your devotion, your heart. How can I love you so passionately Dear One, when you won’t let me in by fully opening your heart? I AM.

I AM.

God’s love for you is real, is present, is true, is holy, is now. Now. NOW. He’s been composing and orchestrating deep works of art in your life, creating and recreating you since the moment He spoke you to life. Life! Your love, oh God, is more than we will ever know.

How beautiful are the works of your Almighty Hands, oh Master Composer, the great I AM. Because You are oh LORD, I can.

I AM.

Together.

We found a way to hide our fears, to reign in our desires and just be – together. A moment of trust, a time to let go and allow our God to begin to rebuild that once was lost. Our togetherness.

Either we are together, or we are alone. There really is no in between, is there? That’s the nature of humanity. We yearn for oneness, to belong, we desire to collectively cheer one another one – yet, really, it’s Him we need?

Jesus.

Walking alongside us, quiet and strong. Speaking words of truth. Nudging us to yield. Encouraging us to leap. Togetherness grows from a place of hope, an small seed of truth that embeds in our heart that must be watered by His Living Water and washed clean by the truth of the Word. We are His. Breathe.

YWHW.

We are not alone. In fact, we never were! It’s a lie that we  have believed for far too long. This doubt which carried it’s deception into places in our hearts and in our lives. Distrust grew and we could no longer be….. together.

We clung to our loneliness.  Yet He calls us now, to come.

Be together with Him. Do not fear. Be together with Him. Find shelter. Be together with Him. Regain hope.

Together.

This post is part of Five Minute Friday’s, a five minute weekly reflection on a word prompt. No edits, no do overs, just write.  “No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation. Unscripted. Unedited. Real.”