This is a season of unplanned deprivation.
Yet, sometimes I find myself hunting for treasure.
Take my freezer, for example. Sometimes, I feel like an archaeologist, digging for buried treasure or something edible. I’ve taken to praying for the gift of interpretation.
As for my pantry, old boxes of jello, gotten for who knows why, look like gourmet fare. Wouldn’t think of tossing a crust of bread, as before, which leads me to one treasure unearthed.
CONTENTMENT
During my childhood, we didn’t have much, yet it seemed enough and we were thankful. During this stay-at-home time, I’m not grocery shopping. Yet, I’m finding contentment hidden in relearning to make do or do without.
Last night, our family did a Zoom pizza party. Chad ordered the pizzas for both houses. When the delivery man showed up, I was so thrilled to see a person, I had to fight an urge to throw my arms around him and whisper sweet nothings in his ear. (emphasis on nothings) The delivery guy and supper together, even virtual, dug up another relic.
TOGETHERness
Some of us practiced social distancing long before this pandemic, hiding behind packed schedules, self-imposed and man-made walls. So, why rescue being together from the rubble of life as we’ve known it?
Because Jesus knew we’d need each other and prayed for oneness just before he experienced the greatest separation imaginable. His prayer for togetherness included the disciples, along with you, me and all who’d follow.
“My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father.” John 17:21a, NLT
This isn’t about uniformity, that’s no gift. It’s about oneness as an extension of God’s unconditional love. Such overwhelming, undeserved love’s capable of changing the world from the inside out.
It’s already happening..
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10 Comments
Love this post Jan!
Thank you, James. We have much to learn, if we’ll remain teachable and tenderhearted.
This is all true!!!
Love you Jan!
Shannon
Thank you, Shannon. I miss seeing you at Community Bible Study. What a year to be studying Daniel and Revelation!
Zoom pizza party – excellent! (I’m choosing to ignore the visual picture in my mind of you whispering sweet nothings to the delivery man – hahahahaha) The Lord really spoke to my heart a couple days ago about contentment – so good Jan! I think I am learning to be more content, I wish I learned faster! 🙂 And I love this: “It’s about oneness as an extension of God’s unconditional love. Such overwhelming, undeserved love’s capable of changing the world from the inside out.” Soooo good and true! God is moving, there is no doubt about that. Love and miss you!
Miss you, too. As for the delivery man, he probably won’t be back.
Hello dear Jan,
Thank you for your continued musings and words of wisdom and humor. (I’m picturing the face of the delivery man in your scenario of sweet nothings !! haha!)
Stay well!
With love,
Katherine
Love to you and Jim, also. Well, I’m running low on wisdom to had to hunt some humor.
Thanks Jan for telling us what the Spirit wants us to hear. Now, all we need to do is listen. One of my colleagues had a child who he thought had the virus and most likely from him (a physician working with these patients). He said, as many do, “It scared the hell out of him.” I thought, well Lord whatever it takes. True story, but more seriously, I am finding some of the most competent and self-confident people being humbled by the Covid-19 pandemic and I believe this is where repentance begins. 🙂
Blessings, Dale
A wee and virulent virus continues to remind us how limited our control and how interdependent we are on each other.
That this is reaching frightening numbers during Holy Week may turn more of us to Christ who suffers with us and is “the Balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.” Praying for you and Michigan.