Here With Us Now
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:18 NIV)
A bit of a personal note: despite the fact that I have been writing these devotionals, as well as record the twice-daily devotions, to provide encouragement in the midst of this pandemic, I certainly have not been immune from the effects of the quarantine. I too have felt much of the loneliness and frustration that has come from having to practice social distancing and adhering to the state's Stay-At-Home order. I have also struggled with adjusting to the "new normal," especially since much of my calling involves face-to-face interactions, and in-person worship. I miss being able to be at the church several times a week for worship services, children's nights, and meetings. I miss seeing the people I serve face-to-face on a regular basis. I have also been saddened by not being able to patronize my favorite eating establishments and attend regular community events and area festivals, which have been cancelled for the time being. I am particularly missing the weekly Trivia Night here in the village, being able to go to the Art Museum, as well as the Celtic Festival which would normally take place in July. I am further saddened by the reality that this year I may not be able to travel back to the West Coast to visit family. While I am able to visit with people by phone, text, or instant message, or even Zoom, FaceTime, or Skype, it is still not the same. Part of my personality involves needing regular in-person interaction.
And, from what I hear from my conversations with the people I serve, as well as people in the community, I am not certainly alone. All of us have been struggling for the past couple of months with the changes brought on by this pandemic, with varying degrees of success. Change is never easy, but change brought on by a situation many of us have never had to face before, that of an unseen and deadly illness, is even more of a challenge. We are all missing the comforting regularity of being able to attend weekly worship, and see our friends and family members. We are all missing the ability to eat at our favorite restaurants, and attend community and state events. We are also sad for our local students, who will not be able to return to school for the rest of the school year.
Yet there is still one thing we can continue to depend on, to provide us with comfort: Jesus is still with us. He is always with us, even when we are in our homes almost all the time. He promises never to leave us alone. He is our constant "normal," even when our usual normal has been disrupted, because He always has a relationship with us. He loves us and cares for us, and is always there to comfort us in our struggles, sadnesses, and frustrations. He is always there for us, any time, anywhere. He is even working, in secret, to bring an end to the coronavirus and the effects of the pandemic. He will help restore what we have lost in this pandemic. He is always available for us to talk to and confide in at any time. As we continue to struggle in this pandemic together, we can count on one constant: Jesus is with us.
Dear Jesus, thank you for being with me all the time, and everywhere. In your Name, Amen.
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:18 NIV)
A bit of a personal note: despite the fact that I have been writing these devotionals, as well as record the twice-daily devotions, to provide encouragement in the midst of this pandemic, I certainly have not been immune from the effects of the quarantine. I too have felt much of the loneliness and frustration that has come from having to practice social distancing and adhering to the state's Stay-At-Home order. I have also struggled with adjusting to the "new normal," especially since much of my calling involves face-to-face interactions, and in-person worship. I miss being able to be at the church several times a week for worship services, children's nights, and meetings. I miss seeing the people I serve face-to-face on a regular basis. I have also been saddened by not being able to patronize my favorite eating establishments and attend regular community events and area festivals, which have been cancelled for the time being. I am particularly missing the weekly Trivia Night here in the village, being able to go to the Art Museum, as well as the Celtic Festival which would normally take place in July. I am further saddened by the reality that this year I may not be able to travel back to the West Coast to visit family. While I am able to visit with people by phone, text, or instant message, or even Zoom, FaceTime, or Skype, it is still not the same. Part of my personality involves needing regular in-person interaction.
And, from what I hear from my conversations with the people I serve, as well as people in the community, I am not certainly alone. All of us have been struggling for the past couple of months with the changes brought on by this pandemic, with varying degrees of success. Change is never easy, but change brought on by a situation many of us have never had to face before, that of an unseen and deadly illness, is even more of a challenge. We are all missing the comforting regularity of being able to attend weekly worship, and see our friends and family members. We are all missing the ability to eat at our favorite restaurants, and attend community and state events. We are also sad for our local students, who will not be able to return to school for the rest of the school year.
Yet there is still one thing we can continue to depend on, to provide us with comfort: Jesus is still with us. He is always with us, even when we are in our homes almost all the time. He promises never to leave us alone. He is our constant "normal," even when our usual normal has been disrupted, because He always has a relationship with us. He loves us and cares for us, and is always there to comfort us in our struggles, sadnesses, and frustrations. He is always there for us, any time, anywhere. He is even working, in secret, to bring an end to the coronavirus and the effects of the pandemic. He will help restore what we have lost in this pandemic. He is always available for us to talk to and confide in at any time. As we continue to struggle in this pandemic together, we can count on one constant: Jesus is with us.
Dear Jesus, thank you for being with me all the time, and everywhere. In your Name, Amen.
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