THIS. IS. HEAVY.
As I am writing we are walking through a very tumultuous time as a people, as a nation. We are smack dab in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic and quarantine with plenty of heartache to go around. And as if that isn't enough for our weary souls to bear, we have the added heartbreak of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer. Then we have the protests, both peaceful and some not. A divided nation, a broken people.
Life feels heavy, dark, and very scary right now with no real end in sight. And honestly, this is enough to break anyone's spirit, rattle anyone's faith, and squash the dreams of His people to be seen as He intended: made in the image of God. There's this restless feeling that things may never be 'normal' again. And there's nothing I like more than normalcy, knowing what to expect, and being in control.
I have tried everything within my power to restore a little bit of peace, some semblance of normalcy, and to quiet those voices that say nothing will ever be good again. And I have failed miserably. So what else do I do when I feel out of control, feel scared, feel hopeless? Yah, I do that really healthy thing called running away.
This time it means physically running away from my life stuck in quarantine for over 3 months to a new location - cuz, won't life be perfect once I get outta here/once I get that new house/once I make more money/etc. So I picked up my family and we left the Seattle area for 3 weeks.
I was dying for some peace and quiet, for some normalcy, for some part of life that didn't include constant conversations about the corona virus, or race relations, or when are businesses are going to open back up, or are my kids going to be in school this the fall. I was dying to go back in time before any of this mess had started.
And I bet you can guess what I found once I was out of Seattle for 3 weeks - there was nothing different in my new location other than the furniture. There were the same conversations, the same concerns, the same heart break as what I had left behind at home. And there is nothing I hate more than being wrong!
Then the still small voice said to me, 'Go back to Romans 8:28'. Seriously? Wasn't I past that beginner stage of theology? I mean really, come on! I've been a believer my entire life - go back to Romans 8:28? But I've learned not to ignore the still small voice so I obeyed, for once.
So I've been resting in the promises from 8:26-30 again, but maybe for the first time I've seen the treasure shared here. I like the NLT version which says,
So yes, I had to go back to Romans 8:28 to be reminded of these truths:
He holds us during our weakness. An image comes to mind of a mother cradling her baby so close that just her mere presence is enough to settle the child. How beautiful is the picture of Him cradling us tight during our moments of greatest weakness?
He knows the cries of our heart before they are even known to us. And not only does He know the heart break, He feels it too.