We’ve all experienced disappointment, sadness, and grief. Maybe a good friend let you down or moved away. Perhaps your pet disappeared. Or your spouse or significant other fell out of love with you. Maybe your church is changing. The last two years have been brutal in taking things away from us. We lost the ability to travel without restraint. We were told that we couldn’t hug our friends. We were denied the joy of worshiping with others. Many of us lost loved ones as a direct, or indirect, result of the COVID insanity. My mom passed away in a nursing home—without family at her side—because of COVID restrictions. I don’t know about you, but I was feeling pretty beat down and I wish I’d never heard the phrases “social distancing” and “new normal.” When this mess all started I had a lot of questions. How long would we have to wear masks? When would life get back to “the old normal,” why was this happening, and would it ever stop?
The above paragraph (with some current editing) was written nearly two years ago. Today, our lives are beginning to get closer to “the old normal,” especially if we live in more conservative areas of the country. But we’re not there yet. Travel is still impacted. There are still plexiglass shields between customers and employees in many stores. Masks are still required in ridiculous places. Hand sanitization stations have popped up like the dandelions in my front yard, and if I have to attend one more Zoom meeting, my head will explode.
Life is not back to normal. We are still hurting. We are still under pressure. We are still overburdened. The question remains–how do we cope when we are overwhelmed and bombarded by new data, new variants, and “expert” opinions? Additionally, we now have to worry about new COVID variants, exhorbitant gas prices, and cream cheese shortages in Publix (maybe that last one doesn’t stress you out, but it bothers me). And to top it off, not only do we have to contend with the crazies in our nation’s capital, but we also have to keep our eyes wide open and focused on Russia. And China. And North Korea. Our heads are spinning from the information and misinformation and disinformation that comes at us from all directions. How do we find peace in a world that is far from peaceful?
Some “serious thinkers” will scoff at my seemingly simple recommendation–PRAYER. Even when we don’t feel like praying, we have to pray. Even when we don’t know exactly what to pray for, we have to pray. In Romans 8:26, the apostle Paul tells us that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” What a wonderfully descriptive phrase—”sighs too deep for words.” In other words, we don’t even need the right words because God knows our minds, even when we don’t know how to express ourselves.
On a whole new front, for those of us who are United Methodists, we’re being pressured to conform to “progressive” thinking by agreeing with a powerful liberal faction that wants to change the definition of sin. The comfort of returning to church to worship sometimes feels like it’s marred by worry over whether or not we will leave the sanctuary with our spirits renewed or with our hackles raised. The pressures are coming from every direction. So what do we do? We have to pray. Second Corinthians 4:8-9 offers encouragement: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
The Psalms, many of which are prayers, also provide comfort, even to those of us who aren’t crazy about poetry. Psalm 38 reminds us that “the Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” In other words, we are not alone in our fear, confusion, and despair. In Deuteronomy 31:8, Moses encourages the Israelites—and us: “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” No matter what.
Prayer. It’s not magic, it’s not wishful thinking, and it’s not just an idealistic solution. Prayer is a promise from God in both the Old and the New Testaments:
Psalm 145:18 The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.
2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and I will heal their land.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Prayer. Maybe it should be our new normal.
The only appropriate response to this missive — AMEN!
Thanks for reading, JD!
Miss Ford wrote:
At least in this conservative area of the country, people mostly ignored mask mandates. While the General Assembly stripped Reichsstatthalter Andy Beshear (NSDAP-KY) of the authority to issue such things, Kroger had a mask mandate for customers in their stores, complete with signs at the entrance, and they were primarily honored in the breach.
Mask-wearing here in central Alabama was about 50-50. Even at its height, when Wal-Mart and Home Depot were funneling in people through a single door and requiring masks, I estimated that at least 50% of customers removed their masks once they were in the store. About the only place I see masks now are in stores that require their employees to wear masks.
Thank you T for today’s excellent article. I had to search around to find it, I noticed it was from last week, will there be one for today? ( today’s was dated 13 March) – Bill
Thank you for that! I honestly believe without my faith and prayer, I’d have gone nuts with the overwhelming ridiculousness of our Country. We’ve dissolved into a place I never dreamed I’d see or live in. And the cream shortage is real and horrible!