on repentance and COVID-19...

Every Spring, I study through Exodus. It's a rhythm that the Lord and I have found, and it proves to be so good every year. This year, with Easter, Passover, and COVID-19 all coinciding, it seemed especially timely. 

"Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.’ ” 

- Exodus 6: 6 - 8 

The LORD will. There are seven "I will" statements in these three verses. He is declaring who He is and what He will do, despite the circumstances and doubt of His people. 

A few chapters before, He declares that He is the "I AM"; some scholars believe that this translates to "I will be to you all that I AM". And He proclaims that to the Israelites in this portion of Scripture. Right after this, in verse 9, the text tells us that the Israelite could not see past their "anguish of spirit and cruel bondage". And maybe that's where some of us are in this pandemic; we can't see God past the fear, the sickness, the pain, the bondage of being isolated. And I think that we need to repent. 

We must repent of our feelings of torture as idols and comforts are taken away from us. We must repent of the idle, unused time. We must repent of the shallow expectations that we have for the Almighty Jesus Christ in this season. We must repent of our displaced longings and desires. 

Many of us are asking, "How long, Oh LORD?" when instead maybe we should be asking "What do you require of us, Oh LORD?"

If a pandemic doesn't change our heart postures to repentance, shifting our focus, creating a desperation within us to seek Him above all things, then what will?

May we learn to not just seek Him, but be desperate for Him on behalf of ourselves and others during this time. He will be to us all that He says He will be; we can trust the Great I AM. 

spring fever...

Spring is my second favorite season (silver medal, y’all).

Every single year, I get the fever… the spring fever; I want to bake new things, clean house, throw out the old, and bring on the new.

(coconut almond butter cups... recipe coming soon!)

This weekend I went a little spring fever crazy, which is totally appropriate since it was the very first weekend of the season… I bought flowers for my little apartment from our local Farmer’s Market, made a few new recipes (eggplant lasagna and coconut almond butter cups!), deep-cleaned the kitchen, sewed a new duvet, and installed new curtains. AND I WANTED TO DO MORE. So, I went to Starbucks to grab a coffee and imagine my surprise when I felt so tired driving there and back; the moment I stopped doing all the things, my body had a chance to catch up and say “FOR THE LOVE, NO MORE!”

So, I came home and did just that… nothing more. Actually, I did one thing more, which was pop in a movie and write this post!

This Spring feels different; maybe I am romanticizing it, but I feel something is coming, its in the air. There is change, there are good things, there is excitement. People, I can feel it in my bones, this season (literally) is going to be good. 

So, how are you celebrating the new season?

Buy flowers? A new candle? Take a trip to the beach?

What did you do this weekend?

Tell me all about it.