Now is the Time

During this time of uncertainty, I’ve had multiple people reach out to me about returning to their faith. Some have said, “I want to dive deeper in my faith, can you help me and send me a Faith Journal?”  One person even wrote to me and said, “I have extra time on my hands and that’s not a good reason to just be starting this journey now, but I want to grow in my faith.”

But that’s just it, NOW is the BEST time to reconnect with our faith!  

Here is the cool thing.  We have some new pockets of time that didn’t exist in our lives before this.  Over the winter our family literally had activities 7 days a week, and that’s just for two kids ages 5 and 7!  It included swim classes, wrestling, gymnastics, skiing, basketball and Faith Formation.  I remember praying for a break!  Now, we are finally getting that break. 

For those of us who have the ability to work from home, we don’t have to get up and rush out the door to work.  For those of us who are parents, we don’t have to hurry the kids through their morning routines to get to school. 

So, we aren’t running around doing 7 days a week anymore.  We have more time to connect on a deeper, more personal level with our families and loved ones.  Instead of being on the go, we have more time at home to enjoy the homes we have and appreciate each space.  We have time for family dinners – to cook them and even, gasp, eat together! 

Why turn to God now?  What better time than now! A few months ago, I read a YouVersion Bible App study called, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry.”  It changed the way I think about a lot. 

“The philosopher Dallas Willard once called hurry ‘the great enemy of spiritual life in our day,’ and urged followers of Jesus to ‘ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.’”  I know that when I hurry, I’m not always at my best.  In fact, when I hurry, I’m often at my worst.  Most often I catch myself yelling at the kids to hurry up and get their shoes on, or hurry up and brush their teeth, or hurry up to get in the car and buckle up.  Is it often their fault when we are running late?   Usually it’s because of my poor planning, and trying to finish 8 other tasks in the last 5 minutes before we have to be somewhere.  Because, let’s be real, if I didn’t throw in that load of laundry, throw dinner in the crockpot, unload the dishwasher and sweep the floor right then, would they ever get done?  I don’t know about you, but I’m grateful that we have a little more margin in our days.

We take some of this time and dedicate it to becoming closer to God.

You can use this time to check out a new church online, there are so many church services being live streamed right now.  Have you been away from church for awhile?  Use this as an opportunity to see what’s going on at your old church.  My church, St. Mary’s Glens Falls, began Livestreaming Masses on Palm Sunday.  While I enjoyed seeing livestream services from other churches, there has been something so comforting about seeing it in my own church.  

Have you never been to church, but you want to see what it’s all about?  Take a few seconds to search for some services and find a church website that looks like it’s a good fit for you.

You can also utilize this time to immerse yourself in God’s Word.  Not sure how to do this?  Download the YouVersion Bible App.

This app helps you explore the Bible, read plans and devotions, gives you tips on praying and so much more! I love to use this app hand in hand with my Anchored with Purpose Faith Journal.  This journal walks you through building a daily faith practice that will help you begin or grow your relationship with God.

All of this is happening for a reason.  God has a purpose for everything, especially suffering.  But here is the thing, something beautiful comes from suffering. “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,” Romans 5:2-4 ESV.

God promises us that although we will go through this period of suffering, that he will give us grace, endurance, character and hope!  

According to YouVersion (you might know by now, but the YouVersion Bible App is my favorite app!), “we are experiencing a season of great spiritual awakening.  All over the world, people are searching for answers and hope.  And what millions are finding is an invitation into a relationship with God.” 

I know that not everyone has the luxury of more pockets of time right now.  For those working on the front lines of this in places like hospitals, doctors offices, nursing homes, grocery stores, big box stores, it’s scary.  Thank you, to all of you front line workers! 

There is so much uncertainty.  This isn’t the little two-week break we thought we were going to get.  This is a change in our whole world, including our economy.  With so many businesses closing, people being laid off from work and stocks plummeting, rising and tanking again, it’s no wonder we still have frayed nerves.  It’s scary.  It wasn’t so long ago that the economy tanked and unemployment had to be extended.  This is a whole different ball game.  Independent business owners like hairdressers, barbers and massage therapists were allowed to practice their trade during that time, they don’t even have the option at this point.  It’s  frightening. 

We can cling to God’s beautiful promises to help us get through this time.  Here are some of my favorites to help you get through this time.

Psalm 46:1-2 ESV – God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV – for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Proverbs 29:25 ESV – The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

John 10:10 ESV – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Joel 2:12 ESV – “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;”

Ephesians 2:8 ESV – For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Psalm 16:11 ESV  – You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;