While we Wait Pt. 1
Coming out of COVID slowly has been quite the breath of fresh air. I found it hard to journal about in the midst of it as it was such strange times and so much to process. So now that we've weathered the hardest part of the storm and really begun processing, one thing that stuck out to me during this whole ordeal is "What on Earth do we do while we wait...?" Whether it being stuck inside waiting for the coast to be clear, waiting for the meeting that would finally tell us we were out of work, waiting for a stimulus check to come in the mail, or waiting for your turn inside the grocery store, we all experience the trial of being stuck in waiting in some form.
As a Christian, this month that felt so stagnant highlighted how I should be living and thriving while I wait for my day to enter heaven. Six weeks to make the most of within 1200 square feet of home. No work, hardly any distractions, just the simplest most basic everyday responsibilities of being a homesteader and a mother. It was a perfect opportunity for some very personal time with Jesus Christ.
One of the biggest highlights and pieces of wisdom God gave me during this time in isolation was to be able to have a third person perspective on the unique diversity of being a member of a Christian family. And when I say family, I mean as in a global family- being one of billions of other daughters and sons of the King of the Universe. God has given us all such unique circumstances and perspectives within our livelihoods to see Him from all different angles. However we are all on the same trajectory, we're headed straight to heaven. In order to get to Heaven we have to be sanctified, He has to cleanse us from within, help us pursue purity and oneness with the living Spirit that lives inside of us, the Holy Spirit. And something that stuck out so brightly during these past six weeks was how hard it is to pursue oneness as a global body with human flesh. It is nearly impossible. It's dirty, sometimes hurtful, embarrassing, but at the end of it there is a bright light.
There are areas in life that God calls to be very black and white, some things He very distinctly says yes to, and others that He says, ultimately to protect us, to say no to. Everything else lies in the middle in what we modern-day people might call a "gray area." An area where within the confines of our worldviews, some things we might deem as "okay" and other things a " definite no." It's so interesting to me how these issues can affect us all so deeply personally but how from various vantage points they can either bring one closer or further away from the Lord. How do we talk about these things lovingly? Should we talk about these things lovingly? I would say that is a resounding yes! We should seek to understand another brother or sister's point of view within the confines of Biblical Christianity... Here's a beautiful example I witnessed this week:
In the online world, I got to see the encouragement and questioning of a new believer. A Millennial who once lived what one might call a "New Age" lifestyle. A millennial who recently was saved by grace through Christ Jesus. She has a huge issue with yoga and its roots. I can definitely understand that. She had a hard time figuring out why on Earth another Christian would see it as okay in any circumstance. That's where I disagreed. For a moment I wondered "would it be loving of me to gently remind the sister that it is okay for others to learn the true roots of yoga and decide for themselves with the Holy Spirit's guidance whether or not it is safer for them to practice? But I didn't really know this girl, and I felt that even as lovingly as it would have been said I did not need to impede on her perspective. The next day was when I got to witness this great effect of her harsh questioning. Someone wrote to her sharing how within a single day they we're willing seek to understand more about God and the Bible and change their unbelieving world views, especially regarding abortion and yoga practicing, because of the questioning posed the day before. In that moment I got to stop and pray for the salvation of someone whose first name I didn't even know that Jesus would rescue them out of their sin and make fully clear His ransoming sacrifice.
You see, God works through everything. I mean everything. Every mismanaged accusation, every unwise decision, every overzealous response. He can glorify it. These six weeks inside could have easily been a time of hopelessness from all different perspectives, but God's hand was in it all, making things new and keeping us whole through His power and mercy. So while we wait, let's not cast such harsh judgment. Let's slow down and give time for God to grant us discernment and wisdom. He will show up, there's no doubt about that. But while we wait, let Him redeem. Let Him shine through in all that we do. Let us acknowledge and accept the black, the white and the gray. While we wait.