The Reset Button

One of my friends started a page for Quarantine Karaoke and the number of people who have joined and are participating is through the roof as videos are being shared each day.    Members sharing their beautifully, gifted voices for all to hear and some are even sharing their dance talents. Another friend invited me to a page for paying it forward where members share their amazon wish lists and fellow members can treat others (friends or strangers) to surprises.  Shoppers are loving the chance to gift others and those on the receiving end are elated to receive a bath bomb or bag of candy.

Some moms met in a parking lot, parked at least six feet from each other, tailgates on their minivans raised as they sat where they normally tow groceries; enjoying time with friends and morning coffee. And yet another post of a birthday party with cars all gathered at someone’s house, social distancing in place. A family style cookout had been prepared and plates of delicious food were delivered to cars, carhop style. The birthday celebratee was overjoyed!

These types of events are evidence to me of at least a million things.  Maybe the most significant being, made in the image of our Creator, we love to love.  We honestly can hardly help ourselves. It’s our very nature. We were made for community and we cannot not be.  No matter what restrictions and boundaries are in place, we will find a way to gather, even if it’s virtually or in our means of transportation.

I also see undeniable proof that His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8).  As we walk through this Pandemic valley, who would have thought so much good could happen?  I am not discounting we are surrounded by some very trying times, but we are finding joy in unlikely circumstances and we are not forsaking fellowship, assembling in all sorts of imaginative ways.  (Hebrews 10:25).  

My dear friend scripted her thoughts of the last week and openly shared on social media.  She began with, we as Americans are basically pressing the reset button. I smiled as I read because I have had this same thought this entire week and knew my fingers would be typing about it at some point.  She confessed she had been annoyed at the hindrance the “staying home” quarantine was going to pose but as the week progressed, she began to notice she was cooking more, she took her time cleaning her home for those she loves, she has been sitting at her kitchen window enjoying the birds more than ever before and she noticed and loved the sound of the thunder when it stormed earlier this week.  

Unlike my sweet friend, I welcomed the halt of activities.  My calendar has no agenda and time doesn’t seem to govern me as it usually does.  After reading her thoughts, I was curious to see what others had concluded about their new normal, so polled social media, of course.  

One friend said God had taught her the value of being still.  She expressed she has been able to take time to sit, soak in and truly listen to Him.  Admittedly, she could not begin to express all He has imparted to her in recent days. Another friend agreed, this had also been true for her.  Yet another noted the scripture, be joyful even in times of trouble, came to her mind and she gathered thoughts of thanksgiving. The wife/mother of a family shared they had been missing her husband/their father due to his work schedule and now he has had more time at home with them.  Nearly everyone that commented expressed more intimacy in their encounters with God and/or gratitude at a deeper level than before.  

And so, even in this valley, there are some really, really good things happening.  This is an opportunity, like no other I have ever experienced, to hit the reset button.  It’s almost like we don’t have a choice, like Someone (God) has unplugged us and we are rebooting so to speak. 

Let’s acknowledge some truths as we reset.  All of these really good things that have been happening (more family time, dancing and games, gifting, more cooking, gratitude, etc,) can absolutely continue with intentionality.  Our calendars are vacant compared to months past and we can pick and choose what we want to add when life goes back to “normal”. If we have learned anything, let it be that all the things we thought carried so much weight of importance can freeze and it’s absolutely okay.  Life will continue. Psalm 90:12 tells us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. This could be a reset button for our time.

Can we be honest and admit our need for rest?  Our need for stillness and even solitude? Jesus set the example for us.  He withdrew to lonely places, he withdrew to pray, he napped in the middle of a horrible storm.  Rest is a good thing, it’s a Jesus thing. He is not impressed with us running ourselves ragged. God is well aware (even if we are not) we cannot pour from an empty cup.  This time we have been granted is a chance to hit the reset button and change what our normal looks like. We can actually schedule rest and “no plans”. It’s Biblical. Rest is a reset button for our physical body as well as our mental, emotional and spiritual selves.

And may we be brave enough to pray Psalm 139:23-24:  Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  It takes courage to ask God to reveal the uglies in us, the ways we are still sinning, aware or unaware; the ways we are not like Him.  Maybe He has given us this time, removing many idols (jobs, money, entertainment and more) so that maybe we can see our priorities are out of alignment with His desires.  Maybe fear has run rampant, and we can acknowledge God is absolutely not the author of those thoughts. Maybe our offensive ways are gossip…or envy…or anger…or (fill in the blank).  None of us have arrived at perfection. If we ask, He will reveal things not of HIm and lead us in His ways. This prayer could serve as a reset button for our heart.  

One more way we can “reset” is to park in truth. Our media thrives on drama, chaos and fear. While our schedules are minimized and we have more time, what a wonderful opportunity to carve out routine study time to saturate our minds with His truth. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. To recognize lies, we must first know the Truth. There are several Truths we can cling to during this Pandemic, one being–this is temporary. It’s a valley. Valleys, even treacherous ones, have beginnings and ends–we are walking through it, to the other side.

Another truth is, we are not alone (Matthew 28:20). And maybe the most significant in times like these–this is not our home (Philippians 3:20). We are here on a mission trip for a unique purpose. This life is a mist (James 4:14) and ever so temporary.

As I have tossed these thoughts around this week, the final thought God gave me was…consider it pure joy. James 1:2 says, consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds. Scripture goes on to note (James 1:3-4) because we know that the testing (walking through the valley) of our faith produces perseverance, let perseverance finish its work (the other side of the valley) so that you may be mature and complete, NOT LACKING ANYTHING.

Not. Lacking. Anything.

Pure means free from contamination.  Pure joy. It seems many of my friends are finding pure joy in this valley.  Let’s hit the reset button on our limited vision, on what we hear, on the toxic chaos of fear and panic and intentionally choose to look through some new lenses.  I would absolutely love to hear how you have been able to consider this valley “pure joy”.