But The Gospel Will Prevail

My emotions have run the gamut during the quarantine related to Covid-19. Like many around the world, each day is like climbing a mountain with the hopes of seeing a final destination, but when the top is reached, it becomes clear that valleys and peaks remain. The journey continues on.

As I trudge through, I have felt uncertain. I’m a planner; I have lists, sticky notes, and a calendar that is organized and color-coded. So, what will this week look like? I have no idea. In the past I could answer that question by swiping up my google-calendar, and while events and plans change regularly, I could bank on the fact that most of what was inputted would happen. But in these last weeks, tomorrow feels extraordinarily uncertain. What does my job look like in a quarantine? How will this pandemic affect us financially? How will we celebrate my senior? Will someone in our family contract the virus? What then? So many uncertainties and no one who can give assuring answers because for everyone right now, the ins and outs of daily life are simply uncertain. What is our hope when the path is so unclear?

Our hope is the gospel giving us CONFIDENCE in life’s uncertainty.

As each day unfolds in unique, unprecedented ways, my heart is filled with longing. I’m longing for normalcy, for physical contact with friends, for dinners out; I’m longing for my children who are deeply missing their friends, and I’m longing to be with my brothers and sisters in the house of God. I desire to hear the voices of God’s people singing and worshipping together. What was once a part of my daily routine has now produced an ache in my soul, and I hope to never again take for granted the privilege of being together as the people of God.

We’ve had sweet moments as a family while we are all “stuck” under one roof, and I’m deeply grateful for the extra time around the dinner table conversing and laughing. The other night, I listened as each child expressed their personal opinions, concerns, and questions about Corona and all of its implications. As I listened to my teens, I longed for them to have simpler, easier days. This time in history is not an easy one to grow up in, and I long for my kids to keep from putting their trust in the things of this world and to love Jesus with all of their heart, soul, and mind. What is our hope when the road is filled with such longing?

Our hope is the gospel giving us FAITH amidst our longings.

While I have felt a number of emotions, anxiety has been the most prevalent. It comes in waves, as it often does, but of late, the anxiety seems overwhelming and the larger waves unrelenting. As I watch extended family experience the effects of Corona, I worry with a sense of helplessness. And as the number of cases spread and the death tolls rise, I tread in uneasiness waiting to combat the next wave of fear. While friends work in the medical field, my concern over their safety is prevalent, and as I listen to stories from dear ones whose businesses are hurt and others who have lost their income, I feel their insecurities. When I see my youngest become overwhelmed with tears and not be able to explain why, I become anxious over my inability to put her on dry ground away from the storms that usher in worry and doubt. My comforting arms cannot keep her from feeling unsettled like I wish they could. What is our hope when we feel overcome with worry?

Our hope is the gospel giving us PEACE in our deepest anxieties.

The gospel of Jesus is the power that gives us VICTORY over despair. Are we savoring the truth found in Romans 8:32 which reminds us that “He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” God gave his one and only Son that we might share in all the goodness that belongs to Jesus. We are not walking this journey alone, but we walk it in Christ and with all of His great blessings. Are you combatting the longings and anxieties by feeding your soul with this magnificent gospel message? Hold fast to the gospel; it is more precious than anything we hold dear, and it is more powerful than any difficulty we will face. The gospel of Jesus Christ does not kneel to trials, and it is not hindered from going forth under any circumstance.

Our ultimate hope is not in days filled with more ease and less insecurity, nor is it in cures from disease. Our hope is in the nail-scarred hands of our Savior who gave his life for us and then rose victoriously from the grave defeating every trial and fear, including death. This hope can’t be conjured up, and it doesn’t magically appear, but it is a gift from God to the children for whom He willingly gave his life.

This is our confidence.

This is our faith.

This is peace.  

This is hope.