Will it always feel different?

No one knew, when we started 2020 how odd of a year it would be.

I have been finding myself feeling at loose ends, which is odd for me. I usually have more than enough things to accomplish in a day, as I am sure any mom or wife understands. I can keep my hands busy, my feet busy, accomplish the tasks that need doing in a day, and yet my mind will wander, and I find myself wondering when things will be normal again, I can easily begin to feel disheartened when I look at things that are happening here at home and world wide.

I had someone tell me very recently that life will only feel as different as we allow it to. I've let that roll around in my brain with one of my favorite verses: Isaiah 41:9-10,

"...for I have chosen you and will not throw you away. don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."

When I feel lonely, this verse reminds me that God is still in control and he has not walked away from me or been socially distant from me. I need to remember that I can approach my God confidently, and not with fear of rejection or disapproval. It is most comforting to me that it is God who has done the choosing in our relationship. I am fickle at heart, and prone to changing my mind, but God never changes (James 1:17). Never will there be a time when he tires of me or chooses someone to replace me.

When we go out to shop for groceries and line up outside the store in the rain before we can get in, or have to 'see' the doctor through a zoom call, when we can't hug a loved one, and birthdays pass so quietly, it can be disheartening. Our world is much different at the moment, but God is still the same. We need not be discouraged and we can confidently look forward to tomorrow knowing that he has it all planned out for our good and his glory. I can lean on his everlasting arms, knowing that when I am weak, insecure and afraid he holds me, and won't let me go.

The best thing for me though, is that fact that he holds me with a 'victorious right hand.' The battle against sin and death is won. The victory is sure and complete. We who have put our trust in the blood of Christ are on the winning team. This knowledge should help us to hold our heads up high and let the whole world see our joy and delight is Jesus, and our goal is how we can serve him today. So while life may seem different now, it is not a permanent change, we can still work, live life joyfully, and smile at those we pass by and share with them the hope we have in Jesus. Write this verse on your heart with me: 2 Timothy 2:3-7:

"Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things."