Expiration dates

by BetsyFaithPosted on No Comments

When “normal” gets flipped on edge and then flipped again, it’s difficult to tell which way is up.

The concept of normal has been rewritten for all of us–it is nearly unheard of that we can all share the same event, especially at the same time. Though our individual experiences will vary, we are going through this disruption of “normal” together. Such common scenes on television as people enjoying a meal in a crowded restaurant or a packed audience on an awards show have begun to look strange and even unacceptable. When “normal” gets flipped on edge and then flipped again, it’s difficult to tell which way is up.

God wasn’t blindsided by this.

On March 3rd, a tornado ravaged the area where I live and decimated the school where I work. We praise God for the fact that it occurred at night and not during the school day. Although this colossal event wreaked enough havoc in itself, there was always hope–God wasn’t blindsided by this. He had already been working in peoples’ lives in the midst and all around the effects of this ordeal. People from all walks of life had stepped up to volunteer their time and resources to make what needed to happen take place. Several venues were lined up for us to resume school after the break, but then, plans had to be changed again with the attempts to quarantine the virus. Teacher training was then altered to include groups smaller than ten. And now, everyone is working from home, teaching and troubleshooting tech issues via text and email and occasional video conference. 

Waves of hopelessness and disappointment have nearly drowned me in the past.

Spending my days alone in a room day after day, I find that I have to be on constant defense against all of the negative thoughts that can creep in if I allow them. Waves of hopelessness and disappointment have nearly drowned me in the past. Looking at the impact on both the lives of individuals and the global economy, it’s hard to even imagine what the world will look like when the dust settles. In my old normal, I could usually focus on the goal or the end of the ordeal. When there is no concrete date of conclusion and uncertainty rules, it’s rather overwhelming to keep facing each day. 

“When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.”

In Ephesians 6:14, we are charged to “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.” So what truths do I cling to? In Psalm 75:3, the Lord says, “When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.” Do I trust that He is in control? Or was my trust in the familiarity of “normal” that had lulled me into complacency? The whole earth is quaking; nothing is going to be as it was before. Yet, I have a peace that lives in the realm of the unexplained. Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I have to go to Him for that peace multiple times a day, and He always obliges. 

I’ve never wanted sour milk so badly in my life. 

Occasionally in the past, I had taken note of grocery expiration dates in relation to looking forward to an event, like “that will be close to Christmas” or “spring will be here by then.” I went to the grocery store about ten days ago, and I found myself evaluating the expiration dates on the milk, wondering if this would all be over by the time the milk soured. I’ve never wanted sour milk so badly in my life. 

When those little things work out…

by BetsyFaith, LifePosted on No Comments

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. [Matthew 10:29-31]

One time when I left the grocery store a few years ago, I had decided to also grab a movie to watch. I selected one from the kiosk and proceeded to the car with my son and the groceries. After unloading the groceries into the car, my son and I got in and headed out to pick up one of his friends a couple of miles away. While situating backpacks and groceries in the trunk, it occurred to me that I didn’t know where the movie was. I inspected all of the grocery bags, but it was nowhere to be found. I asked my son if he’d seen it, but he hadn’t either. We returned to the grocery store, and I located the cart I had recently parked in the cart collection area, and there was the movie–leaning against the side in such a manner that it blended in with its surroundings. I was so thankful that someone hadn’t seen it and taken it.

When I was in college, I drove a smallish mid-80’s station wagon that had a roof rack. I used to travel from state to state visiting friends during breaks, and one time when I had stopped for gas, I inadvertently had left the gas cap on top of the car. About 200 miles later, I had stopped for gas again, opened the gas door and was surprised to see the gas cap was missing. For a moment, I worried that I’d left it at that gas station in another state, but then it instantly hit me to check the roof. I slid my hand along the edge of the roof rack back to the crosspiece that ran perpendicular to it, and there, wedged into the corner, was my gas cap. I was so thankful I didn’t have to figure out how to replace it on the road or back at school.

…ponder all those times that the event didn’t happen.

My son has a habit of putting things in unconventional places, and more than once, he has placed his wallet in the space between the left rear view mirror and the driver’s door. One time when I happened to be riding with him, he had driven about ten miles down the highway before he suddenly realized it was still out there, wedged in. Thankfully, he was able to pull over and retrieve it before it became litter along the roadside. Ironically, we once found someone’s wallet beside the road and were able to return it to him. The man was extremely grateful. Somehow, I don’t think my son’s wallet would’ve been returned if he’d lost it by the highway in that area!

We have lost things on occasion from leaving them on the vehicle as well, like a pair of gloves left on the rear bumper and one of my son’s skis from the bed of the truck–though that is where we transported them, not that we’d left it there by accident. We had hit a substantial pothole and the one ski had apparently flown out unbeknownst to us, but after several days of searching and putting up posters about the lost ski, someone contacted us about his finding it, and we were able to get it back. We never found the gloves.

God shows me that He is just that omniscient and powerful to know about every little thing in my life, no matter how trivial I think it may be.

I think the real lesson is to ponder all those times that the event didn’t happen. How many times have I remembered my keys rather than locking them in the vehicle? How many times have I passed through traffic unscathed rather than that time that I waited for hours in gridlock? It helps me to shift my focus to the longevity of what I take for granted as normal; it helps me to put those trifling nuisances into perspective.

Though I prefer things to be easy, believing that God knows what He’s up to helps when they’re not.

When I start thinking that those little things don’t matter to God, He shows me that He is just that omniscient and powerful to know about every little thing in my life, no matter how trivial I think it may be. And even when things don’t go according to my plan, He is using those events, those details, those frustrations as part of a picture so much larger and more complex than I can ever imagine. So it’s not my place to worry; I only have to live and trust. Though I prefer things to be easy, believing that God knows what He’s up to helps when they’re not.