A New Normal

Social distancing

That’s my husband there in the front seat. It is the height of the pandemic.
We had gone to the post office to pick up our mail and were on our way home.
Social distancing…though not quite six feet.
You may wonder why since we live in the same house and are married to each other.
It’s because we were both sick.
Not with the virus. Just the crud, thank the Lord! Because nothing is normal anymore.
But not exactly a good time to have the crud.
We’d both been to the doctor, not tested for corona because we didn’t have symptoms, but both on medication. And so we stay away from each other.

We are better now. Medication is finished. We both feel fine, but have a cough that lingers. That’s what the doctor’s told us would happen. The cough would be the last to go. We are ready for it to be gone. The coughs lessen every day…which is a blessing. We still stay apart.
I haven’t kissed my husband, or held his hand in three and a half weeks.
I miss him.

The only time we leave the house is to get groceries…or get the mail.
Occasionally, I will get out on my bike, or we go for a walk.
Not holding hands.
Yet.

Nothing is normal anymore

This morning my husband went to the store to get us those groceries. As he leaves I call out, “Do you have your mask and your gloves?”
Yes.
“Be careful”
I reflect on the words I just said. Then sit down at my desk and pray for him.
When he returns, it’s my turn to put on gloves. I reach for our dwindling supply of Clorox wipes and begin my task of wiping down everything. Every can. Every bag, bottle and jar. Everything.
Then I bathe our fruit in distilled white vinegar before washing it and wiping it off, praying that it’s enough. After I put everything away I wipe down the counter everything was sitting on.

A new normal.

I bet you have a new normal too. It may not be like mine. But you have one.
I’m already tired of it.
I wish I could blame someone. Fingers itching to point. Do you wish you could blame everything on someone?
Is it God?

Unexpected explanation

In Luke 7, Jesus is out healing the sick, making the lame walk, casting out demons, and crowds of people are following him. Desperate for his touch. A couple of disciples of John the Baptist come to Jesus and ask him if he is “the One”. Jesus answers in verses 22-23, “And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’”

The Jewish people were expecting a Messiah that would overthrow the Roman government and free them from Roman rule. But Jesus didn’t come with an army. He came with compassion. Clearly, not what they expected. They had doubts. And so did John the Baptist. So much so that he sent a couple of his men to confirm. And what does Jesus say?

“Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” Or, “God blesses those who do not turn away because of me” (NLT).

Does God offend you?

Are you tempted to turn away because unexpected things happen in your life? Like the virus? Like having to wipe everything down, or staying six feet away from people.
Or having to home school your children.
Or losing your job.
It’s easy to get frustrated…to wonder why this is happening.
I don’t have an answer. I don’t know why things happen the way they do. But I do know it’s useless to throw blame around like it’s confetti on New Year’s.
Don’t do it.

Don’t turn away because Jesus doesn’t do what you expect…or want, him to do.

Let Truth rise above doubt.
God’s wisdom is so much greater than our own.
Believe, unreservedly, what the bible teaches about our Lord.
Have confidence in His sovereign control over the events in our lives.
Surrender…body, soul, mind, spirit,…life…future, to His control.
Be grateful. Because He is the source of all good.

And let that be your new normal.