Pastor’s Perspective 02-02-2021

I’ve been sitting in my living room for over an hour alternating stares at a blank piece of paper before me and a dreary day outside the window. I’m stuck. Stuck between how I feel and what I know. Maybe you’ve been there before, too. Some of God’s people in the Bible have.
Joseph in the Old Testament for one. I’m sure it didn’t feel good to have his brothers throw him into a cistern and then sell him to some traders headed to Egypt. Or to be separated from his father all those years, not knowing if he was alive. Or spending years in prison after being falsely accused of something he didn’t do. Somehow Joseph knew God was in control and was working out His plan even though Joseph had no clue what the plan was. Job is another. I know he didn’t feel good as his whole life came crashing down around him. Losing his flocks and servants, all of his children, and finally his health. But somehow Job was able to declare that he would continue to trust God even if God took his life. Job knew God was sovereign and that there must be an explanation for what was happening even if he had no idea what that might be. We are in good company even if our challenges are not nearly as significant as theirs.
My life has been on hold in recent days as all of the ministers self-quarantine due to our exposure to someone with COVID. It’s been less than a week so far and I am already going stir crazy. I need to be productive but am prevented from doing things I need and want to do. I treasure relationships and can’t even be around the people closest to me. I enjoy gathering for worship on Sundays, but had to preach to an empty sanctuary last Friday. I can sympathize with the many people across our country who are longing for a personal touch from their loved ones, school children who long for interaction with other children, and others whose work and other activities have been put on hold. In spite of how I currently feel, I know my situation is temporary. I know that God is in control and is working out His purpose in this world. I know that He knows how I feel at any given moment… and that He cares. We all get stuck at times. I’m just glad that with God as our Father, what we know is always greater than how we feel.
See you Sunday! ~ John