“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Yesterday, I thought about drawing near to God while I watched parts of three episodes of MTV’s Catfish between snippets of the news, and I ate part of a bag of tortilla chips that I had a check about even opening. That wasn’t like me -- recently. I’ve exercised better self-control in the past many months, but yesterday…
Maybe it was the uncertainty. Coronavirus, self-isolation, cancelled events, children in a neighboring school home for two weeks with all schools cancelled by their state’s governor. I know one teacher in that state. I’ve visited her classroom. My first thought was for parents scrambling for day care for their children while they go to work, and then I thought about the children who need breakfast and lunch provided by the school. Many of the kids will be home by themselves, their teacher said. And they will be hungry. Oh, the babies! These sweet babies.
Yesterday I tried to turn strong feelings off by numbing my senses. And it wasn’t just what’s going on in the neighboring state, the world, the nation. Yesterday, my once-active husband got winded climbing the fourteen stairs to our attic to keep me from having to pull myself up step by step to take something seasonal upstairs for storage. The edge of fear threatens closer than China, Italy, Washington DC, the state of Washington, New York, Georgia. During those hours yesterday, I felt drawn to walk into the breakfast nook where my Bible was open on the table, turn off the tv, put the chips back in the cabinet. What if I had obeyed that small, still voice drawing me near to God? I may have been strengthened and encouraged through the Word and comforted by a sense of His presence. Instead, yesterday I lost three hours I can never retrieve. I woke up this morning feeling bloated.
Yesterday I had a three-hour “moment,” but God has graciously granted me another day. I am not hopeless or helpless. I am grateful.
Comments