Pastor Chris
If you’ve lived in this world for more than a day, you’ve experienced a moment where things didn’t go according to plan. Sometimes it’s a simple thing beyond your control, like an unexpected slowdown in traffic that makes you a few minutes late to your destination. Sometimes it’s an oversight that leaves us scrambling a bit more, such as forgetting that a favorite restaurant closes early on Mondays, so that when you show up you suddenly have to make different plans. And sometimes the things that don’t go according to plan are larger life issues that can change the entire course of a person’s life. It’s the diagnosis that leads to more tests and treatments, taking over one’s life. It’s the downturn in the economy that causes layoffs, and you didn’t sneak through this latest round of job cuts.
The truth of the matter is, it’s not always easy to exist in this world. Very little ever goes according to plan, and even when things do, the results of the plan aren’t always what one would expect. So that raises the question: What do we do when the plan is no longer the plan? As much as we would like to say that we’ll just roll with it and do the best that we can, there are times and seasons where the curveballs thrown at us in our lives are so disorienting that we can’t simply pivot and move forward. Sometimes we find ourselves paralyzed or forced to reverse course.
But if there’s one thing that remains constant for us no matter what the journey looks like, it’s God’s presence among us. Sometimes in the disorientation that happens when things are going in a different direction than we planned, we have trouble finding God, but God promises to always be near to those who call upon the Lord. Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Similarly, Lamentations 3:25 says, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.” These verses help to remind us that even when things seem dark, God is indeed faithful to us and does not abandon us. Jesus himself tells his disciples, “I will not leave you orphaned” (John 14:18). These are the things we are called to hope in when the way forward seems unclear. But because the way forward seems unclear, it’s easy for us to feel as if God may not be as close at hand as God promises.
But God is definitely near to us in these times of uncertainty. God is near us in the reassurance of a loved one who is steadfast despite uncertain diagnoses. God is near us in the community that coalesces around ones who are hurting, to offer support. God is near us in support workers whose chief vocation is caring for those who have lost their way. And the best news is for those of us who are on more sure footing right now: We have the chance to be the presence of God in the lives of others who struggle, sharing the good news of God’s love through how we love others, even when we didn’t expect to find ourselves in a position to be the ones showing compassion in these moments.
So this year and in the years to come, know that even though uncertain times come for us all, we can be certain in God’s love for us. May we each find ways to point to and trust in this love, no matter the journey we find ourselves on.
Pastor Chris