COVID-19: The New Normal

I beg your pardon...I never promised you a rose garden

For the majority of my praying life – I have asked God for stronger faith. I'm not sure what I expected...that He would wave a magic wand over my head and just like that...bibbidy bobbidy boo – I have faith galore? Pretty sure that ain't the way God rolls. What value would it hold if God merely sprinkled us with faith dust and POOF – you have an abundance of the stuff? I believe God gives us the choice – trust in Him and he will see you through each day.

Joe South wrote the lyrics sung by Lynn Anderson: “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.” Those lyrics sound, to me, more like what God has in store for us. He begs our pardon...he didn't promise us a rose garden. Instead, he has given us all the tools we need to grow our own.

A sense of peace washed over me as I watched my one year old granddaughter explore a world that to her, is brand new. She bent down and picked up a plain rock indistinguishable from a thousand that to her, was special in some way. She thrilled in the feel of wet sand between her fingers. With a stick grasped tightly in her pudgy little fist – she would close her eyes, tilt her head toward the heavens and relish the gentle breeze in her face. She has few words at this time in her life. She needed none. She was soaking in the moment. The sun on her face and the smell of the river carried in the wind. The corners of her mouth turned up in a slight smile at the sounds of gulls overhead. She was at peace. Her father stood close by watching over her as she played. He would keep her safe at any cost. She didn't need to learn this from the news media. She didn't have to read it in a book. It was within her. Total and complete faith that her father would provide for her and keep her from any and all harm.

We all have such a father. He's watching over us. He loves us. He wants nothing from us but to love him back and to put our faith in Him. No, he does not promise us a rose garden. What he does promise is to never leave us nor forsake us: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deut:31-6

There is no denying these are tough, uncertain times. We are all scared – especially those of us who have never lived through true adversity. It can't always be sunshine and unicorns. Sometimes life requires sacrifices and inconvenience.

Now is the time to utilize your God given tools. Plant that garden now, because Along with the sunshine, there's got to be a little rain, sometimes. And all gardens need a little rain.