Pandemic Reflections

When the shut-down started

Time crawled slowly

Waiting with bated breath

For the shut-down to be lifted

Days went by

Counting weeks

As the months went by

Time sped up

Each day flew by quickly

How could it be the weekend again 

When it felt like Monday was only yesterday

My private practice picked up

Therapy sessions shot up

One of my Love Languages is Quality of Time

Meeting with my patients was spending time

Daily

All day and night

With people I enjoy

Time just flew

There were also downsides though 

No more bandwidth for ministry

Missed out on new Youth Group meeting times

Not available during new Children’s Church meeting times

Playdates with my spiritual daughters’ children over Zoom 

Were not so fun

It was the most difficult part of the pandemic for me

No more going to places with them

To play and to facilitate their play

Indoor arcades and outdoor playgrounds

Frequenting Barnes and Noble with my Addie

Grandkids hating Zoom

One of my granddaughters announced at the top of a Zoom date:

“I am over it!”

How I agreed with her

Missing out on delicious desserts and meals

when I met with my spiritual daughters over discipleship

That was a true bummer for me

We only got to watch each other eat 

instead of sharing one another’s food

Meeting over Zoom or over the phone though

Made meeting with adults easier

No more fighting traffic to drive from one place to the next

Just stayed home and spent time over teleconferencing

Friday night Bible Studies broadened 

With friends joining from different states

Worshiping on Sundays over Zoom

Catching up with everyone after the service

Seeing my extended families over Zoom

With opportunity to speak with my family members everyday

Margin of time was gained on the weekends

More time to spend with hubby

Picked up drawing and sketching again

Listened to so many more audiobooks

Stayed up late into the night binge-watching Netflix

Got addicted to K-Drama

Went away on vacation breaks

To experience changes of scenery 

And to enjoy nature

Refreshed and rejuvenated

Reset button pushed

Ready to face pandemic life anew each time

As we recover from the Pandemic

Great to see brothers and sisters again

Getting back to seeing people in person

Catching up with one another in outdoor venues

Worshipping with one another 

In person 

Inside church 

Again

New things to come

New normal to adapt to

Incorporating new lessons learned 

Hopefully 

From the pandemic

What Satan meant for evil

God meant for good

With positive and negative experiences and all

Godly vs Worldly Sorrow

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Sorrow

Regrets

For things done wrong

Decisions foolishly made

Deeds done 

Time has gone by

We cannot go back and make changes

What is done is done

A-a-h

Regrets

Self-flagellation

Self-condemnation

Mind churning

Preoccupation

Restless nights

Who can save us from ourselves

Who can undo the wrongs we have done

We cry to ourselves

We cry out for help

But wait:

Therefore there is now no condemnation 

for those who are in Christ Jesus

For the law of the spirit 

Has set us free

From the law of sin and death

Jesus has paid the price for our

Selfish intentions

Bad decisions

Wrongful acts

How gentle the Holy Spirit Who sees us

Our intentions

Our mixed motives

Our self-indulgence

Our decisions

Our actions 

Our acting out behaviors

Even what we do in secret

He sees us just as who we are

And accepts and loves us 

He is ever patient with us

He embraces us sin and all

Out of His full and unconditional love

The Holy Spirit taps our shoulder 

GENTLY

And calls our attention 

Encouraging us to make a different decision

We respond in repentance

Making that 180-degree turn

Which leads us to reconcile with God

The shame we felt from our sin is now gone

For the Holy Spirit does not condemn

He has already forgiven us

He calls us back to Himself

Back into relationship

Where there is no shame

No need to hide

For there is full forgiveness

Total love

Absolute acceptance

Even in the midst of our sin

As for our regrets

There is no longer any

Nope not one

None needed

For the Person we have offended

Has already forgiven us

He has paid for the cost of our offense

Even the offense done against Him

With love He calls us back to Him

Back into relationship with Him

Back to His bosom

Where there is 

Full acceptance

Full forgiveness

Total 

Absolute

Love

Now that is godly sorrow 

There is repentance

Reconciliation of relationship

But no regret

For there is no room for it

No need

None

Worldly sorrow however

Is condemnation

 And accusation 

From the pit of hell

Satan

Father of lies

Who wants us to hide in shame

Withdraw ourself from 

God

 

The very One Who 

Forgives

Loves 

Accepts

Receives 

Us back 

To Himself

What will you choose

Who will you choose

The God of Forgiveness Who 

Sees us

Knows us

Yet He accepts

Forgives and 

Loves us

Or 

The Father or Lies

Who condemns us

So we would withdraw from God

And play right into his schemes

To breaking off of relationship with God

And live in the pit of 

Self-condemnation

Regret

Sorrow

Alienation

Pity

Death

"How Can It Be" - Lauren Daigle

"We Are Forgiven" - Elevation Worship

"Thank You Jesus for the Blood" - Charity Gayle

Suffering Produces…Hope

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4)

Suffering

Adversity

Hardship

Ordeal

Torment

Misery

Anguish

Who wants any of this

Unless one is a “Glutton for punishment”

Or has an unconscious need to be punished or be a victim

Who in the world would willingly submit to suffering

Suffering needs to have a purpose

Having purpose gives us hope

It gives our suffering meaning

Jesus’ suffering brought about our salvation

Reconciliation of relationship between God and humankind

His suffering had a clear purpose

“For the joy set before Him He endured the cross”

Jesus saw the purpose of His suffering:

US

Therefore He was able to endure the suffering of the cross

How about us

What purpose could our suffering possibly accomplish

Romans chapter 5 states that 

Suffering produces perseverance

When we are unable to get out of suffering

Long term suffering

We feel powerless

We finally come to the end of ourself

When we realize that we do not have the power to stop our suffering

There seems to be no other choice except to endure

Endurance under long term suffering

Produces

Perseverance

What Satan meant for evil God meant for good

When we see our suffering from that perspective

We get to choose how we respond to suffering

This persevering attitude

Where we get to choose how we respond 

Gives us the opportunity to take on 

The Mind of Christ

Sharing in His suffering

In order that we might share in His glory

We gain the privilege of 

Identifying with Christ in His suffering

So we might also share in His resurrection glory

This is a Christ-like attitude

Christlikeness

Christ character

Godly character

Our perseverance then produces character

Since this character is of God

We have hope

Our hope does not disappoint

For it is centered on Christ

His death

His resurrection

There is resurrection hope in the midst of our suffering

Knowing that our suffering is working in us to

Produce perseverance

Perseverance working in us to develop

Christ-like character

Because of what Christ as done for us on the cross

We too have the hope of resurrection

We then have hope in the midst of our suffering

There is yet a purpose in our suffering

For God is working in us

In and through 

Our suffering

Therefore

Suffering 

Produces perseverance

Perseverance 

produces character

and Character 

Produces 

Hope

A hope that does not disappoint

In the midst of 

Our suffering

"While I Wait" ~ Lincoln Brewster

"Joy in the Suffering"

Being Thankful

God calls us to be thankful

Grateful

Full of appreciation

Not taking anything for granted

Not being numb

Not being apathetic

But

Being 

Actively

Grateful

Thankful

For He has blessed us

With every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm

With daily Manna for our spiritual needs

With wisdom from above to guide our decisions

With abilities to earn our keep

With sustenance to meet our physical needs

With the very breath in our lungs

With every heartbeat to circulate oxygen throughout our body

With adrenaline to give us energy

With an immune system that keeps us healthy

Money and power do not buy us the very breath we need

It is God and only God

Who gives us 

Breath

Life

This same God gives us

New mercies

Every morning

Great is His faithfulness

The Author and Finisher of our life

The Lover of our soul

The Sustainer of our being

He is our

Provider

Protector

Father

Friend 

Lover

Sustainer

Our

Every-thing

Praise

Praise and thanks

To the Lord our God

"Goodness of God" - Bethel Music

"Grateful" - Elevation Worship

 Godly Wisdom 

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17) 

 

 

Standing at a fork in life’s road 

At a loss on what to choose 

Lacking wisdom 

 

We look out and look up  

Seeking God 

For wisdom and direction 

  

His Word has promised us  

That if anyone lacks wisdom 

We should ask God 

Who gives generously without finding fault 

 

 

Wisdom from heaven 

Godly wisdom 

 

Is first of all 

 

Pure 

No mixed motives 

No selfish ambitions 

No calculated risks 

No manipulations 

No guile 

 

It is innocent 

As a dove 

As a child 

 

Then 

 

Peace-loving 

Actively seeking peace 

Peace between God and men 

Peace between fellow men 

Peace between factions 

Peace between discordant parties 

 

 

Considerate 

Thoughtful of others  

Choosing others over ourself 

Attending to others’ needs over our own 

 

 

Submissive 

Humble 

Relinquishing our rights 

Yielding our own desires  

 

 

Full of mercy and good fruits 

Cancelling of debts and payments 

Forgiving punishments due 

Forbearance of wrongs done to us 

 

Productive 

Abundance of goodness 

Proliferating blessings 

 

 

Impartial 

Objective 

Unswayed by sentiments 

Fair 

 

 

Sincere 

Genuine 

Truthful 

Trustworthy 

 

 

When we lack wisdom and need direction 

 

As we seek Godly wisdom 

 

The answer we receive  

Is it from us or from above 

 

The distinguishing key between 

Our own wisdom  

And the wisdom from above 

 

Is 

 

Does the answer reflect the attributes of 

Pureness 

Peace-loving-ness 

Consideration 

Submissiveness 

Fullness of mercy and of good fruits 

Impartiality 

Sincerity 

 

 

Heavenly wisdom 

Godly wisdom 

 

Awaits us 

Just for the asking 

Generously given to us 

Without condition 

 

From the Source of all wisdom 

 

God Himself