Earlier this week we marked the 1-year anniversary of the Colorado Governor’s decision to stop large gatherings in the effort to get a handle on the newest viral threat our state was facing. This immediately led to our large staff moving to work-from-home status. I remember how surreal it felt to pack up my office – wondering if I would remember everything I would need – turn off the lights and close my office door for the next several months. It felt so uncertain and final at the same time.
The overarching theme for the next year became Ross Geller’s famous cry of, “Pivot!” We adapted in office operations, worship service procedures, and methods of congregational care. And many days we adapted several times before the sun set. We faced disappointment, loss, and grief – learning to acknowledge them, name them, and release them to the Lord. Again, frequently facing this several times before the end of a day. The rapid-fire nature of it all was exhausting and, frankly, made me a little gun-shy of any apparent progress as we moved through the weeks.
But there was progress, and we did move forward.
I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
Job 42:2
We learned that we could be flexible in new ways. We learned how to be creative in our approaches to nearly everything. We learned that if we’re not okay it is okay to say we’re not okay. And we learned, in an entirely new and unexpected way, that the Lord is still the Lord of all. He was not surprised by the pandemic. He was not rocked when our services went exclusively on-line. He was not rattled by the lack of toilet paper. He is GOD. He is FAITHFUL. He is LOVING. While the list of the unknown and misunderstood is still long, it does not change His almighty nature.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:17
As His children we know that because of His great love for us, we can move forward in confidence. Each step of faith is met with His unfailing equipping. Each loss is met with His unending grace. While it would be easy to slide down the slippery slope of discouragement, let’s choose to focus on the Lord’s goodness in the midst of it! This allows us to acknowledge the reality we face while simultaneously resting in the security of His promises. He holds it all together even when it appears to be falling apart.
Yes, we know the truth! Those around us need quiet reminders of His faithfulness through a note of encouragement. They need strong reminders of His faithfulness through wall-crushing prophetic prayer. And we, my precious friends, are the ones who carry those reminders. We’ve seen Him move. We’ve experienced His grace. We are the recipients of His mercy. And not to keep to ourselves but to share with those around us as lighted pathways to the Father. Because it is in His presence that we are changed. In His presence we are called by our true names. In His presence we all are personally reminded that…
You are adored.
You Are Adored 