The other morning, I was driving and listening to worship music in my car (duh!). The song "Graves into Gardens" was blasting, my worship hands going HARD, my upper body was rocking out putting my lower body to shame. I happened to glance over at the car next to me stopped at the red light. The driver gave me a big grin and tossed up a ‘rock on’ gesture. As someone who has been “socially isolated” for what seems like an eternity, this little moment of human connection was literally the highlight of my day.
I don’t know about you but I have *felt* the gaping hole that time away from my community has left. And it hasn’t even been that long! Our souls crave human connection. We were literally created for it! I know in a season of “cancelled” things can quickly seem stale, stagnant, and unproductive. I can only hold conversations with my cat for so long, ya know?
Let’s pause and read Psalm 23:1-3 from The Message:
God, my shepherd!
I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and you send me in the right direction.
Isn’t that a beautiful reminder? The Lord is the one who refreshes my soul.
Yes, I desperately want to meet with my community in person. I want to hear my pastors bring the word from a stage, not a screen. I want to be reminded that my Connect Group girls exist as beings below their torsos… and still have legs! (#IStillHaveLegs, get it trending).
Don’t get me wrong, these are all good things that God uses to bring us closer to Him, but at the center of it all is God himself. He is the one who brings refreshment. He is the one who brings rest in the midst chaos. And He is the one who has charged himself with my eternal joy and current wellbeing. So, as a reminder to myself as much as to you...
...screen time won’t refresh your soul, spending time in the presence of Jesus will!
For the next season, let’s hold our hands wide open to God, anticipating the sweetness of the reunion of the saints. Can you imagine how good this will be!? Let’s position ourselves to receive God’s rest and refreshment while not missing the glorious opportunities we have to serve and love our neighbours today….like, right now!
- Leah