It had taken several weeks for me to finish the job completely, and as I heaved my last load of debris into the woods, I couldn’t help, but admire all that I had accomplished. Flowerbeds once blanketed with dead leaves, weeds, and debris were now cleared, and fresh life could be seen poking through the soil. The sight of those new plants got me thinking. With every spring, comes new life, a new start, a new beginning, and just as these plants are given a fresh start each spring, I wondered if perhaps God had been offering us this very same thing these past few weeks? I wondered if perhaps God has presented us with an opportunity for a fresh start? 

For many of us, COVID-19 disrupted what we considered to be “normal” life. It disrupted our routines, our jobs, our finances, our time spent with loved ones, and for some, our sense of security. For many of us, parts of these last few weeks have been really hard. But, as I look back, I can’t help, but see the lessons God may have for us here. Lessons about what a life lived to the full might actually look like. 

First, as I’ve reflected on these last few weeks, one thing I’ve observed is that many of us are spending our time a bit differently now. Think back with me for a moment about how you spent your time prior to COVID-19. What did a typical day look like for you? How did you choose to spend the time God gave you during any given day? For many of us, myself included, our days were spent checking things off of our to-do-list as we raced from one activity to the next. It was our predetermined schedule, a schedule that was often overloaded, that set the pace of each day. And then suddenly, we found ourselves limited in the ways that we could spend our time. For many, during this time of social distancing, time has been spent trying to efficiently work from home. For others, time has been spent supporting  their child’s education. And there are others still, that are spending time balancing the both of these. But aside from work or schooling, how have you spent this time when you were limited in what you could do and how you could do it? 

Do you know what I’ve seen? I’ve seen families spending more time together. I’ve seen families taking long walks and playing outside. I’ve seen families creating art, building forts and holding dance parties in their living rooms. I’ve seen families completing projects, playing games, cooking, and working together to bless others in their community. I’ve seen a coming together of many of our families. Perhaps that was God’s intention through all of this? Perhaps this has been a heavenly invitation to slow the frantic pace of life and evaluate how we are spending our time. Are we intentionally spending our time with those that mean the most to us, and are we doing things that really matter? Are we taking time to have some fun? Are our actions throughout the day making a positive impact on those we love most? Are we living out these moments God has given us to the full?

Something else I’ve observed is how quickly fear can consume an entire people. In the beginning days of this pandemic, I remember fear seizing my heart every single time I read the latest news updates. My fear was rooted in the very basic fact that I knew I had no control over the current circumstances: no control whatsoever. I couldn’t control the fact that the virus was spreading closer to our community. I couldn’t control the fact that many people I loved would be on the front lines of this fight. I couldn’t control the fact that schools shut down, that we were being asked to stay home, and that life as we knew it was turned upside-down in a matter of days.  Every aspect of life felt completely out of my control, and that scared me. Yet, I don’t think I was alone in this. Did you have times when you struggled with fear these last weeks? 

When life feels out of control, it is easy to allow fear to waltz right in and camp out in our hearts, isn’t it? But, perhaps this too was another heavenly invitation? Perhaps this was God’s invitation to be still in His presence and to remember who we are and to Whom we belong. Psalm 100 reminds us to:

“Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”  

Psalm 100:3 (AMP)

As believers, we belong to Him. We are not only loved, but we are deeply cherished by the all-powerful, Creator of this universe. Paul reminds us in Colossians that:

“It was by Him that everything was created: the heavens, the earth, all things within and upon them, all things seen and unseen, thrones and dominions, spiritual powers and authorities. Every detail was crafted through His design, by His own hands, and for His purposes.”

Colossians 1:16 (VOICE)

When fear of our circumstances or fear of the unknown tries to settle in our hearts, are we taking the time to be still? Are we taking the time to remember who we are and to Whom we belong? Are we walking to the full through this life as Daughters of the King?

And perhaps, this was also an invitation to remember the importance of filtering our circumstances through God’s truth. I shared with you before the importance of taking our thoughts captive and filtering them through God’s Word. We need to be rewriting our negative thought patterns and choosing to believe that God loves us, that He is with us, and that He is always for us. We are in the midst of a battle for our hearts, our minds, and our souls, and the enemy is throwing everything that he’s got into it. Are we facing this battle confident of the One who is fighting for us? Are we believing that the enemy has no power over us? Are we trusting the Word of God to the full?

Something else that I’ve observed is our true and deep need for community.  A friend shared with me last week that she never knew how much of an extrovert she was until we were asked to quarantine. She may very well be more extroverted than she thought, but I think a huge part of it is that she is missing her people. She’s missing being in the same physical spaces of those people with whom she does life. I think many of us are feeling this same way. I think as a people, we are realizing how much we rely on our tribe and we are grieving the loss of that community. We have amazing technology that gives us the ability to keep touch, but the physical separation from those that we are doing life with . . .  that’s been painful. Perhaps, this is a heavenly invitation to remember that we were designed for community. God created us to be in relationship with others, and His desire is for us to do life together. We were created with different gifts, and those gifts are meant to be used for the benefit of others. Perhaps, this is a heavenly invitation to recognize who makes up our tribe and how we support one another. What do you do to love others well? What does loving your tribe to the full, especially during this season of social distancing, look like?

Heavenly invitations . . .  These last weeks, I’ve seen God moving. I’ve seen Him remove distractions, remove our sense of control, remove our complacency. He’s removed the debris to show us the beauty that lies beneath. Sometimes that’s what we need. We need to clear out what is dead and decaying to make way for new growth. We need a stripping away of those things that are holding us back from living the life God has for us. A life that is lived to the full.

This is an invitation. This is a heavenly invitation for a fresh start, a new beginning. God tells us in Isaiah:

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

 Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV)

Living a life to the full.  It’s standing firm in His truth and in the knowledge of who we are and to Whom we belong. It’s embracing this life we have been given and submitting ourselves to the plans God has for us. It’s making the choice to accept His invitation to step out of what once was and into a new beginning. It’s making the choice to step into the life He has for us. A life that is lived to the full. 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  

John 10:10 (NIV)