– Monday Muse –
Dear One, just look at those shelves. The shelves themselves are familiar, but their emptiness certainly is not. And even if there is not a single thing that we need, the sight of them makes us uneasy. Why? Why, because empty shelves are unfamiliar to us. Nearly anything unfamiliar evokes in man at least a modicum of fear.
We think that our homes could not be more familiar, but suddenly, when we are nearly held prisoner inside their walls, even our homes seem somewhat strange to us. They are no longer refueling stops, places that we are constantly preparing to leave. We are now forced to stop, look around and see that which always was – to be somewhat different than we remember it to be. This is home?
Days pass, and we rush out to the car to drive no where in particular. We don’t stop anywhere for we don’t want to touch anything outside our car. We yearn to dine out, go to the movies, leisurely buy groceries, and shop – just because we can.
We hear talk of having to wear masks outside our homes, but that can’t be. That is something foreign countries do. But on the other hand, our homeland suddenly seems somewhat like a foreign country.
Personally, Ron and I have experienced the postponement or cancellation of a dedication, a first birthday party, baby shower, funerals, church services and most likely Easter dinner. Church and Easter dinner…could anything be stranger than that? But on the other hand, Ron, the game master, came up with a great idea. Several evenings a week we play Trivial Pursuit on speaker phone with another couple. The men against the women. It’s not looking good for us gals, but we are still hopeful of surging ahead.
It seems that in just a few weeks, the once familiar has become strangely odd. We delivered a birthday gift to a great-granddaughter while keeping our distance…outside the house. Her older sisters waved, and smiled. I wondered what must they think…no hugs, no kisses.
Thankfully, with so much changing around us, temporary or not, we have a God who never changes. No matter what happens to us, or around us, we can count on this:
“Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
Who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
Blessings,
Susanne
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