When I take a step back and reflect on the past five months, my mind is overwhelmed. So much has happened… between a global pandemic and finishing my junior year of college online, there have also been major changes in our world and nation. It’s hard to process all of it or fit it into a neat little box- I mean, with things reopening, do we call this “quarantine” still or is it just “the pandemic,” or should we use the greater, all-encompassing term “2020”? However, I've been able to find a couple common themes throughout the story of this year.
The biggest thing I’ve noticed and been reminded of is God’s good plan. Although it feels like the world as we know it is falling apart, we (as believers) have a more permanent foundation we can hold onto. Whether 2020 is the start of the end times and Jesus is coming again, or it’s just a really crazy time for the history books, there is a plan and a purpose in all of the confusion and pain. The more I open my eyes to see what God is doing, the more reasons I find to praise Him. For example, the transition to school online was pretty difficult for me, but I ended up getting to spend more time with and make more memories with my roommates than I would’ve otherwise. Also, finding a job for the summer was more difficult than expected, but the time spent waiting provided more opportunities for fun adventures and time with my family. When everything shut down, we saw people rally together to hold onto the important things- community, faith, relationships, supporting local/small businesses, and speaking up for the under-appreciated and unloved in our society. We began to recognize the people who constantly give their time and energy to serve our community. We began to become more aware of the deep hurt and hatred and evil that seeps through America through racism, human trafficking, and other injustices. We took time to learn new things and discover more about ourselves. Maybe 2020 has felt like a rollercoaster, a whirlwind of chaos, but amidst all of that, God was working. He has broken the chains that held us to our busy schedules and self-centered lifestyles. He has increased compassion and empathy for our neighbors, at home and across the world, by uniting us around a common struggle. He has shown that nothing, not even a global pandemic, can stop the powerful work He is doing through His children and the Church. More people have access to church (and similar resources) now through online platforms, and communities have come together to support one another through all the change. So maybe, as things shift closer to our “normal,” with people going back to school and work, we can hold onto these good things:
No matter what you’re feeling this August, whether you’re working from home or going back to school or stuck in some weird in-between season, I encourage you to remind yourself of how you have grown in this time. Quiet your mind and listen to your heart; make space for gratitude and praise God for the good He has been working. If those things are still hard to find right now, start small: find something that brings you joy right here, today, where you are. Through practicing daily gratitude, you might find yourself with more purpose, more reasons to trust God, and more reasons to celebrate life. Let’s continue to pause and rest, spend time alone with Jesus, learning to trust Him no matter what. Though things of this world might be starting to compete for your time and energy again, let’s continue to prioritize our faith and the people around us more. Let’s continue to pursue our passions and what matters to us, fighting for good and justice and healing in our world. Let’s continue to pray through all things, whether we’re having a good day or bad day or a good year or a really bad year. Let’s continue to support and love other humans, with the same grace and love Jesus has shown us. Let’s unite on this mission as followers of Christ, knowing that the journey will never be perfect, but will always be perfectly in progress.
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AuthorHi! My name is Rachel Schoeff, and I'm a college student in Cleveland, Ohio. With this blog, I aspire to share a little bit of what God is doing in my life, and use that to inspire others. We're all messy people, and we're never going to be perfect, but I hope that, together, we can all learn to embrace being "perfectly in progress." Archives
August 2019
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