Is normal overrated?

Regardless of what you think about COVID-19, if God is sovereign, then we must believe that He's at least allowed our current situation. And if God is wise and good, we also have to believe that He has a purpose in allowing what we're experiencing.

We've seen some good things come out of the past several months. Families spent more time together. Overcommitted individuals got a break. People connected more with their neighbors, albeit virtually or 6 feet apart. They learned new hobbies. Some people were more open to Gospel conversations. There was innovation and ingenuity, generosity and sacrifice.

Yet, we've also experienced suffering and grief, loneliness and boredom, lost opportunities and income, discomfort and disappointment. And we wonder when, or even if, life will get back to "normal." We complain, hope, discuss it and pray; but most of us are left with an underlying sense of dissatisfaction.

Many of the things we do now and the changes we've made are done begrudgingly, more as stopgap measures to get us through, until our circumstances return to what we're accustomed to. And, maybe, that's part of the problem. It's certainly not wrong to wish we could resume cancelled activities and to pray for an end to COVID. But what if our old "normal," or at least our attachment to it, is what God wants to change? Are we more focused on our plans, desires, and comfort than we are on God and His sanctifying work in our lives? Perhaps God wants us to get to the point where we're content in Him, even if life never goes back to "normal". Hard to consider, isn't it?

God never promised us an easy and comfortable life. We read, in the Bible, about followers of God who endured incredibly difficult circumstances; but we tend to forget that we're likely to face some as well. The Apostle Peter, writing to believers in 1 Peter 1:6-7, said that the trials they experienced would prove the genuineness of their faith and result in praise for Jesus. In James 1:2-4, believers are told to "consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." Jesus, himself, told his followers, in John 16:33, that they would have trouble in this world. But He also told them to take heart and have peace, because of who He is and what he's done.

What do we focus on more -- the ministry opportunities that COVID has opened up or all the ways we can't do what we used to do? Do we talk more about how tired we are of the situation or of the blessings we can see around us each day (if we'll only look for them)? Are the things we read and watch mostly filled with updates on the virus and the opinions of those who think like us? Does our media consumption drag us down or help us grow? It's not wrong to stay informed; but we need to be discerning.

So, regardless of where you fall on the origin of the virus, the motives of politicians, or the efficacy of masks, let's focus on God's purposes in our circumstances and seek what He wants us to do, both as individuals and the Church at large. As we pray for our situation to change, let's also ask God to help us be content and joyful in Him, even if life does not improve in the way or time that we want.

Christy Bollinger is a resident of Cape Girardeau.