“Is today Monday or Saturday, or maybe it’s Thursday?” Anyone else out there been asking this question daily? I know I sure have! Whether you’re stir crazy on day 10 (or is it 100?) of quarantine or you’ve been running ragged as an essential business hero, the phrase “we’re all in this together” has never been so accurate.
A couple nights ago on Instagram and Facebook, we did a check-in with our Faith followers and nearly 100 people responded in a 24-hour period. (See the results at the end of this post.)
We asked a series of questions, ranging from funny to spiritual, and the responses to one question in particular struck me:
When we asked how people’s prayer lives were going, 70% of us (myself included) said we wish we were doing more, in comparison to the “Prayed up!” 30%.
Personally, I put myself in the “wish I were praying more” category because there’s this low-grade unrest simmering beneath the surface of my soul that lasts a lot more hours than I want sometimes. Like everyone else’s, my life has been in a constant state of shifting for weeks now: I cancelled a mission trip, I learned a bunch of technology, my friends got furloughed, my grandparents are in isolation, I haven’t stopped working and I just miss being able to hug people!
God got to my heart in a special way last week. On a day when I came to his presence feeling pretty guilty for ignoring him most of the day, before I could get the words “I’m sorry” out, he drew me in through Hosea 11: My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender… For I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.
My soul needed that! God’s capacity for compassion far exceeds our wandering in worry.
If some days you spend 15 of your 16 waking hours Netflixing more than you planned, trying not to kill your quarantine buddies, working because you just couldn’t stop, exhausting yourself with news consumption, and you get to hour 16 and think, “Oh shoot, God must be pretty upset that I just wasted the whole day without even thinking of him,” you can stop those lies right there in their tracks, my friend.
God is never mad when we come into his presence, whether it’s been 10 seconds or 10 years since we last thought of him. God always wants to be with you.
If you’ve gained the “Quarantine 15” and you’re disgusted with the slob that you’ve become, God still wants to be with you.
If you snapped at your kids after they asked to watch “Frozen 2” for the 15th time this week, God still wants to be with you.
If you filed for unemployment today and then worried all day long about where the money will come from, God still wants to be with you.
If you’ve worked untold amounts of stressful hours and you’re bitter at the people sitting at home on their couches, God still wants to be with you.
If you got lost in the endless abyss of news articles and COVID-19 predictions, God still wants to be with you.
If you spent all day alone and overwhelmed by feelings of isolation and frustration, God still wants to be with you.
Wherever you are, whatever this day or season has been like for you, remember this: God always wants to be with you. God’s default posture toward you is compassion. In his presence you’ll find fullness of joy and an abundance of peace.
Go be with God in prayer – you can rest assured he always wants to be with you!
Poll Results:
Overall, I’m feeling: Stir Crazy (70%) / Loving This! (30%)
I’m more of a: Home Projects (56%) / PJs All Day (44%) kind of person
My quarantine snack supply is: Dwindling/nonexistent (35%) / Well-stocked (65%)
I’m feeling more: Stressed (62%) / Relaxed (38%)
How’s your prayer life? I wish I were doing more (70%) / Prayed up! (30%)
How’s your time with Jesus? I’m getting time every day (38%) / It’s Sporadic, but Good (62%)
Valerie Bouchard has been attending Faith since 2010 and came on staff in 2015 as the
Communication and Connection Director. She is passionate about helping people
love Jesus more in their everyday lives and especially loves serving alongside
gifted leaders and creatives at Faith.
Outside of Faith, you’ll find her hiking with her golden retriever, Kai, coaching CrossFit
classes or planning her next travel adventure.