Trusting in a ‘Glass-Full-God’…
Ron snapped this photo of our friends, Will and Cindy Goff, with me as we paused a moment on a beautiful Vero Beach, Florida shore to discuss complexities of life before resuming our simpler quest to find unusual, intact seashells.
One year ago—February 29, 2020—the first death in the U. S. from the coronavirus was reported. An elderly nursing home patient in the Seattle area, approximately 300 miles due west of our home, died from a virus we’d only heard of and which seemed so far away one month earlier. Since then, more than 500,000 people in our nation, and many thousands more worldwide, have lost their lives to the virus known as Covid-19. Each of those lives was precious. Such a tragic year for so many individuals and the ones who loved them.
For over a year, activities I considered “normal” have changed dramatically. Our family has been touched only minimally by the virus, for which I am grateful. Nevertheless, it has interrupted several scheduled travel plans and the way we gather for Sunday worship. Family get-togethers we so enjoy—celebrating birthdays, holidays, and other special events—were disrupted.
While grumbling feels so petty, I can honestly say watching grandkids open Christmas gifts via Zoom was not an enjoyable experience. I imagine, though, it will make a good story one of these days when we can get back to “normal!”
The opening paragraph in a friend’s 2020 Christmas letter seemed especially poignant. Will Goff, professionally trained in the field of immunology and a retired university professor, wrote:
Events of history accumulate. Event by event, day by day; unsure of which headlines will become major topics in history and which will be footnotes. Events of the last year will certainly be a chapter; a significant year medically, socially, politically, and spiritually. How tempting it has been to look at the ‘glass half empty.’
Perhaps like you, I am so anxious to turn the page on this historic chapter! Truly, the major headlines this past year became wearisome.
It is easy, like Will said, to look at this year from the ‘glass half empty’ perspective. Yet, many times during these months, I’ve been reminded that having faith means placing my trust in a ‘Glass-Full-God!’
I never want to lose sight of the fact that God is omniscient, the One who exists outside the parameters of chapters. The One who transcends headlines. A God who before the creation of the universe and throughout the infinity of eternity knows what was, what is, and what will be. A God whose mystery is so great I can grasp but a glimpse of the divine story into which my story has been included.
Words the Apostle Paul wrote to his friends in Rome centuries ago remain true today. I hope they will encourage you as they have me:
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28 NLT)
May we find deep meaning in every chapter of our stories, every step in our journeys…
