Walking through Uncharted Territory

I started this earlier this week.

Today is Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Just think, only one week ago life was still moving ahead in a normal fashion.We went where we wanted, when we wanted, to do what we wanted. Calendars were still packed full of events and the future held numerous scheduled activities. And then life (as we are accustomed to it) came to a screeching halt. Now, not only are pressing engagements canceled or postponed, future events are uncertain. Baseball season will begin as newly scheduled; however, the schedule has not been set. Racing will take place -- some time, some where. Churches will congregate once again -- at a future date.

And now we face uncertainty. We know that life will return to normal, but that may indeed be a new normal. We often talk about resilience, specifically the resilience of the American people, but we are facing something that may change how we see and interact with others. The face of education may change as EVERYONE becomes a cyber-student. We may realize that activities that dominated life are not quite so important after all. Innumerable small businesses may face extinction if they are forced to go long without regular foot traffic. Large corporations that have been teetering financially may finally be pushed over the edge into the abyss of bankrupt, closed businesses.

And yet, through all of the uncertainty and restlessness we can rest in the fact that our God is still in control. He did not forget about us nor is He neglecting us. If He ever was sovereign, He still is. If He is sovereign over anything, He is sovereign over everything. There is no middle ground; either He is God or He is not. If He is (and He is), then we can trust him fully to do what is best and we can trust that He knows what is best far better than we do. We see things from a very limited perspective and with a self-focused viewpoint. God sees things in such a way that He is able to see the beginning and the end. As the creator of the universe, He is well able to manage it.

We have a tremendous opportunity during these challenging times to rightly represent Christ to the world. People are feeling as if life has been poured into a blender and many are wondering if it can be put back together. It is sort of like Humpty Dumpty -- not even the kings horses and men can fix this. However, the King can indeed fix it. We may not know what will happen tomorrow, but we do know who controls tomorrow. We need to trust Him that He will do what is best and that He will provide for His people and protect them, even during trying times. Life will resume, in some manner at some time. When it does, we will be able to see that God is still God and that He never ceased being God.