Grace Family,
The month of July is now here! What an interesting year 2020 has been so far! The world has changed. The nation has changed. Each one of us has changed. I believe we will not return to what we knew as “normal life.” School systems, workplace and churches are all planning to re-tool their services and methods in this new Covid 19 world that demands quality hybrid experiences that utilize both in-person and online activity. Hopefully, healthy productivity and flourishing will be maintained in this new environment. Yes, things have changed…forever.
It is in times of change that the church of Jesus Christ is challenged to see moments of great opportunity. We believe that we serve a God who never changes. He is never surprised. He is in complete control of His world. I have been pondering the book of Job. The book would look so different if we only knew his suffering. But the book begins with an unfolding of the reality that there is something happening in heaven that has impacted what we see on earth. The same is true. God is in control. Even when things are changing and seemingly out of control. Job didn’t fully realize this until the end of the book. We have the luxury of learning from his experience.
As we serve one another and the world around us let us be eager to watch what God is doing in us and in our world. It is a cliché but it is really true: tough times can either make us bitter or make us better. We must daily choose to follow the Lord, experience his joy, and look for opportunities to bless others.
Pastor Stan