God, If I Have To Go Through This...
God, if I have to go through this, let’s use it! This was my thought as I walked this morning. So I began thinking about how I could use this. I remembered what Pine Valley United Methodist Church Pastor Tim always says after he reads scripture and prior to his sermon. He prays, “Let us be challenged, let us be changed, and may we never get over it.” I love that! So I decided this is my new corona prayer, “God, if I have to go through this, please let me be challenged, let me be changed, and do not let me ever get over it!”
Let me be challenged. I have been and I continue to be challenged! While I do not have the extra burdens that so many people have right now, this is still hard. My biggest issues are not getting to see a loved one in a care facility and wondering if he understands, family members who are high risk, those who have lost their job or are concerned about that, missing my friends, and not getting to go to church! Even though these issues are not as big as some people's, I know God understands that they are my issues - no matter how big or small. They are my challenges. God lets me go through challenges because He is more concerned with my spiritual growth than my comfort! James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” God is right here with me and will give me what I need to come out stronger.
Let me be changed. I feel we have all been changed. We have had to do things in new and different ways. We have had to “bend” as my mother used to say. That meant we had to be flexible. Most of us are changing the way we do things in our personal lives and in our work. And some of the things we do not like or are not comfortable with but we have to do what is right. Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Let me never get over it. As we have said before, let’s not go back to what we were before. Let’s embrace new beginnings. I pray I never get over how I have missed and taken for granted going to church. What I would do to stand in that gym and worship! To get quiet, like I like to do, and just listen to the whole place praising God! Psalm 95:1-3, “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.” Those were the good old days! I am a lot more appreciative of many things such as foods, health care, friends, restaurants, jobs, lunch with friends, having friends over, and the list goes on. Let me hold onto a grateful heart for all God has taught me through this! Psalm 9:1, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
God, if we have to go through this...let us be challenged, changed and never get over it!