God is with us in the in-between times
Dear Friends,
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What do you do when you are in isolation but not feeling too badly? I was down with a mild case of Covid. I watched a lot of television. One of my favorite shows is the Netflix original series, Longmire. It is about the trials and tribulations of a Wyoming Sheriff and his department. It is a world that I know nothing about but I couldn't stop watching.
The context, and some of the subject matter, like a murder to be solved every episode, are foreign to my life. Yet, what captured my attention were the human emotions that arose out of the various situations. You could identify with them. There were flashes of anger, jealousy, remorse and revenge. Troubled relationships coming out of shared trauma were put under a spotlight.
One particular moment that hit home dealt with the uncomfortable time spent waiting for test results. The show's director portrayed those anxious moments brilliantly. Using a microwave time clock, and time lapse photography, the deputy waiting for the results was caught pacing, sitting, standing, looking out the window. You could feel the tension in her movements.
Waiting is no fun especially when your future hangs in the balance. Whether it is a call back from a job interview, or a pregnancy test, or your college acceptance letter, it is hard to sit back without thinking the worst. For me, waiting for the results of the Covid test was brutal because my daughter's wedding was on the horizon. I was literally sick just thinking about it.
You can do all the right things. I washed my hands for three plus years. I kept my distance. I avoided going out when I wasn't feeling well. I got vaccinated. My heart sank when my test came back positive. It was a reminder that no matter what you do, some things are out of your hands. We like to think that we can control everything. We can't. Ultimately we need to trust God.
Just because you are a believer doesn't mean that everything will go your way. Author Donna Lewis in her book, The Rain Falls on the Just and the Unjust, says, "We will all have challenges, disappointments, and unfair situations arise in our lives, but as believers we are to handle ourselves in a way where unbelievers will want to become like us. We are to learn to trust, have faith, and believe that GOD has our back..."
It is that kind of faith that led Horatio Spafford to pen the words to the hymn, "It is Well With My Soul." In a period of a few months, he lost his son to Scarlet Fever, his four daughters to a shipwreck, and much of his property holdings to the great Chicago Fire. In the midst of it all, his heart turned not to his losses but to the source where hope could be found.
As horrible as life had been to him, Spafford held onto his faith and was able to praise God. Like the Apostle Paul, who while in chains, was able to say, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
Spafford found his hope in God who gave him the secret and vision to carry on. He declared through his song that God was the source of his confidence so that he could say, "Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, 'It is well, it is well, with my soul.'" Whatever you are going through right now, know that God has got you in the palm of his hand and He will carry you through.
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God Bless! See you in church.
Pastor Cal