Facing the new normal

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  Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.

So how do me make the best of the opportunities as we journey into the New Normal? Surely it is  by seeing God in the middle of all circumstances. Whether our journey into the future travels via adversity or euphoria, each is an opportunity to draw you closer to Christ of the human road. 

We can either accept this new normal as a friend to be encountered  and or view it as an enemy; as a nudge toward the Lord, rather than a wedge between ourselves and God. Have you ever noticed that Jesus Christ specialises in doing new things. We read in Isaiah 43:19  “Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” In fact He makes a way of hope in our wilderness of worry and streams of faith in our wasteland of fear. 

We can change the paradigm by seeing the new normal as God’s new plan for us and accept the new normal as an opportunity to adopt new ways to know God. Its like entering a period of reeducation as we learn how to lean on the Lord, as we study the  new normal as the next step in following Jesus and through this learning perceive it, believe it, receive it, and embrace it. Making a change means to follow in the footsteps of Christ through discovering what the Holy spirit is calling us to be and to do, rather that what the world has to offers. As we seeks out this new normal, I pray that we are able to apply the lessons of this exceptionally Christian journey to redefine “normal” so that it includes more gratitude, love, appreciation, service to others, mercy and joy. We as the church will be part of the rebuilding of our communities as we continue to participate in serving the community – help the hurting, the vulnerable and marginalised.

Lord, change us to be more like Jesus in this New Normal Everyday way of living.

Prayer:

May we who are merely inconvenienced - remember those whose lives are at stake.

May we who have no risk factors - remember those most vulnerable. May we who have the luxury of working from home - remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.

May we who have the flexibility to adapt to the new - remember those who have no options.

May we who have to cancel our trips - remember those that have no place to go.

May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market - remember those who have no margin at all.

May we who emerge for the quarantine at home - remember those who have no home.

During this time when we still cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbours. We continue to pray for all those who need our prayers.  In Jesus Name we pray Amen

Things to meditate on: