Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Recall when April 1 was a day of pranks and “gotcha” exchanges with your friends, family and even coworkers?  Though more common among young people,  adults too joined  in the “April Fool”  antics that brought laughter and lightness to the routines of the day.  Not so this April 2020. Such traditional foolery seems inappropriate during a coronavirus pandemic. Yes, toilet paper scarcity and befuddled parents masquerading as teachers bring a smile or chuckle via YouTube. And in times like these, wholesome laughter can be healthy. Nonetheless this first day of April continues to shatter societal norms as the numbers continue to spiral; each one more than just a digit, but a human being infected with the disease or dead from the disease.

It’s not my Interruptions devotional that prompts reflection and introspection this morning, but one from another I regularly read. The pastor who authors the pieces entitled today’s, “When We Seek God.”  It was his last sentence in the opening paragraph that got my attention and pointed me in the ensuing direction. His question: “What am I seeking most in life?” A great query considering the tenor of  the times. I imagine most  responders would likely make reference to an end of the pandemic, and a quick return to life as it was before. However, I think it’s a question that especially during a pandemic or anything that disrupts our life and our norms can help us look more closely at what matters most. The best way to do that is to reflect upon the things that mattered most to you pre pandemic. Was it your family or personal relationships? Your health or lack thereof? Your possessions or lack thereof? Your job or lack thereof? Your social status or lack thereof? What mattered most was whatever you spent time, effort,  and resources pursuing.

If our pursuits were/ are anything less than a closer, more authentic relationship with God,  then we were/are about the wrong things. Christians are called to seek first the kingdom of God (the rest will be given as He so wills). This current pandemic can be the match that lights the fire in us to once and for all time, cement what we know of Him (by studying His word); establish real fellowship with Him( achieved through deliberate, intentional quiet time with Him); and obey Him by allowing ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit.

So, how does a believer in Jesus respond during a pandemic to the aforementioned question? “Glad you asked”, as preachers often say. Believers answer, “I am most seeking in life to walk in the Lord’s will during this time of crisis, mindful that He remains in control and I need not fear, to seek His guidance and wisdom even more than I do Google’s, to spend quarantined or isolated or distanced times reaching out to others who are struggling, spiritually or emotionally to help them cope if I can, to look for the sunshine behind the clouds knowing my faith is based upon what is unseen to the natural eye,  and to continue in the joy and assurance He gives me so that no matter what happens, how much higher the numbers climb or even I or mine fall victim to those numbers , He is Lord of my life and I know the end of the story.

Love. Joy. Peace.