WOW! A lot has happened since I last wrote a column. I’m not sure if many things have changed in your world, but I’m sure they aren’t as normal as they used to be just a month ago.

No toilet paper, no paper towels, I mean what on earth? People wearing masks, people not able to leave there homes, empty airplanes, empty stores, church online, meetings online, small businesses scurrying to find some answers and hope amidst a world wide pandemic.

If you would have told someone in January that our world would be turned inside out like this everyone would have looked at you with your head tilted. Of course it seems we are all looking at each other that way right now. Why are you wearing a mask? Why aren’t you wearing a mask? Should I be worried that your are wearing a mask? Should I be worried that you aren’t wearing a mask?

So many emotions, so many thoughts, so many different people on different ends of the spectrum. How are you doing? No really, I know you probably won’t talk to me directly but have you stopped to just ask that question? How am I doing? High stress times tend to reveal our idols. Alcohol, power, control, etc. we all have them and they all come out in different manors and different intensities.

Some of my extrovert friends are about to die, from not being able to hug people, and some of my introverted friends are like, this is heaven on earth, no one can touch me or speak to me, isolation is what I’ve longed for, for some time. However we all are suffering. In one way or another we are all made for community, we long for it, to be apart of it, to enjoy it, to be loved, to be known, to be known and loved. The reality is our deepest longing is for someone to know us completely, warts and all and yet still love us completely.

We don’t even know how refreshing it is to find someone like that until we find them. Most of the time we spend hiding who we really are, or what we are really like in hopes that everybody will like us. It’s in times like this of isolation from the crowd that we can see who we are, sometimes that’s most painful to us, but it is also most helpful. Because once we see who we are and love who we are, we can begin to let others see who we really are and be loved by them.

              So here’s my advice, take off the mask, the metaphorical one, let people see the you behind the mask. Take a chance and trust people. In the midst of a global pandemic we all tend to become conspiracy theorist or ODC germ freaks and maybe even a little obsessive compulsive. Or maybe we are just always like that and afraid to admit it? We are afraid to admit it because people couldn’t possibly know that about me and love me, could they?

              Here is the good news, we all have faults and things we don’t really want people to know about us. How can that be good, well we are all the same, we are all less than perfect, on the inside and outside. You tend to see that whenever people don’t dress up to go to work, or people are letting out stress because they’ve been cooped up for weeks at a time. It’s good because we are all the same in that regard.

              The Good News about that is Jesus came to save imperfect people like us. God sent His One and only Son, to be crucified on a cross that whoever believes in him might not die but have eternal life. Jesus was the perfect human and He sacrifice himself to satisfy God’s wrath, so that God would remain just and merciful all at the same time. The cross is where all our sins went to be paid for by Jesus.

              Trusting in Jesus means more than just getting in to heaven, it means having a King, a Redeemer, a Savior, a friend, a brother that knows us completely, and got us so well that He died on a cross to save us and make us holy like He is. Our promised adoption doesn’t start when we die, it starts when we are born again, we aren’t sinless yet, but will be. So today we can live with the hope that is within us, God is making all things new, all creation and all of us that have faith in Him. You can live today loving God because He fully knows you and is fully loving you.

What does he ask for in return? That we love Him and love other people. While your out looking for toilet paper and worrying about your job, and marriage and kids and everything else going on in the world, remember Jesus tells us not to worry, but seek first the Kingdom of God.

I strongly dislike being immobile.
As I write this post I’ve been suffering from a swollen ankle for over a week. Possibly a flare up of arthritis from overstraining it. The tough part is for me is not being able to walk. The swelling was causing the nerves in my foot to hurt 24/7 and making it impossible to put in pressure on my foot. Icing, elevation, heat, ibuprofen, nothing worked.
Of course this happened on Good Friday late afternoon, and in the middle of a global pandemic so going to the ER was not an option. And for those of you that don’t know, I’m a pastor so we typically have a few things going on during Holy Week, and Resurrection Day. Needless to say I was pretty much useless. This reality of intense pain and inability to walk coupled with my uselessness really had me frustrated.
Also I should give a shout out to my family that has been quarrentined for weeks, that somehow has endured me and my neediness, during this time of immobility for me. Being told to stay home is hard enough, having to work from home is even tougher and then throw in an injured ole geezer that needs a refill on ice or needs food or needs something every few hours get old no matter how saintly and patient and caring a person you happen to be. So kudos to my wife and kids for making me comfortable!
But this too, was difficult for me, I hate having people do things for me, I also hate not being able to do things for people. I am a helper, and when I can’t help, I am very frustrated and unfulfilled.
So the Monday after Easter I went to the doctor and got a shot and some anti-inflammatory pills. I actually was able to limp into the doctor’s office and go get my prescription from the pharmacy and was feeling like, okay I am on the mend. Tuesday I went to staff meeting at the church, and was on my foot not terribly too much but enough to realize, yeah this thing is still really swollen and hurts so bad. Well, you guessed it, the swelling increased even more and come Wednesday and Thursday I paid for it by hardly being able to stand much less walk. The pain was unbearable, and yes I am a wimp, but even for non wimpy people I’m pretty sure this pain would cause you to pause.
So Friday came, one week from the first bit of pain and swelling and thankfully the pain went from a 10 out of 10 down to a 6 out of 10. The swelling was almost gone and I was able to walk with a noticeable limp, but so glad it didn’t take 5 minutes to get to the bathroom. Today is Saturday and I am now walking with less and less of a limp and the pain is nearly gone. There is still stiffness and some swelling but I’m being a good patient and staying off of the foot as ordered by the family. They are rightfully tired of picking up my slack and having to operate a man down so to speak.
So you probably could care less about my foot injury and I probably lost half of you after the first two sentences but if you hung on to find out more, I’m so thankful you did. This time of immobility has really helped me see just how prideful I am. I really like doing things my way, I really like doing things for people and I really don’t like the way other people do things. I have repented of this and realized I need other people. I need to be thankful for them and grateful for how they do things, even if it’s not how I would have done it. God made them with different abilities and gifts for a reason.
I’ve never been immobile for an entire week. This has taught me a lot of empathy too, to empathize with those that struggle everyday with mobility, whether they were born without or whether through age or disease or accidents they are currently suffering and struggling with pain and the present or permanent situation of dealing with the inability to move without great effort.
There have been many people in my life that I have loved and even cared for that have struggled with walking at some point or being mobile. There have been many more in my friend circles that I have admired from afar and wondered, how do they do it, not from pity but amazement of stamina and determination. My minimal suffering in light of these truths has taught me to slow down and appreciate each step, appreciate each person, appreciate each act. People have gladly picked up the slack for me, genuinely cared for me and God has graciously provided more than I could have ever asked.
Pain has a way of reminding us that we really are limited, they we really do need help. I think living in pain in the midst of a global pandemic has taught me to just be grateful for everything, especially pain that causes me to pause and see my need and also my blessings.
If you are in pain today, I pray that you will be able to pause and be grateful. I pray that your pain would lessen and that you would be able to return to full strength. I empathize with you and know how un-fun pain is, but sometimes it helps us to see just how bright and full and joyous life is, it helps us develop a greater, fuller, deeper meaning to the days we live without pain.
It also helps me to remember that Jesus promises a life with Him where one day He will take us to where He is. A place that has no pain, no sin, no remembrance of evil or hate, a place where no tears and no brokenness exist. A place where only growth and flourishing and abundance and light can be found, if we will just trust in Him. So today if you are in pain, and you have seen your limitation, maybe you’ve even been immobilized, then my prayer is you will see your need for Jesus. We are all in need of Him, but many of us continue limping on, writhing in our pain, refusing to just stop and say I need help, I’m tired, I’m unable to do this at all.
I don’t know where you are or what you are going through, but I know this, Jesus love you. He came and suffered for you and I. He gave his life for to save sinners. It’s okay we all fall into that category. May your pain lead you to the cross to see someone that understands, someone that has conquered all pain and suffering, even death so that you might live victoriously forevermore.

Love Pastor David