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The run on supplies in the grocery store causes the global worker in me to kick into high gear. I wash my hands (again) before slicing into the precious fruit on my kitchen counter. Every drop of juice is headed for my freezer.
The task transports me back to Papua New Guinea. High prices and unpredictable supplies could turn the most common items into precious commodities. Living there taught me to conserve in times of scarcity and to wait patiently for grocery store shelves to restock.
It also taught me to take care of myself. To prevent food borne illness and tropical diseases, hand washing and wearing mosquito repellent were daily rituals. I learned to be ever mindful of the risk of things like Malaria and Dengue Fever.
My return to the U.S. came with the hopeful expectation of living free from fear of disease and the enjoyment of abundant choice.
Then, COVID-19 raced around the globe and into the U.S. Supplies flew off the shelves. Obsessive hand washing and fear of disease gripped the nation. New practices, like self-isolation, quarantine, and social distancing, invaded our everyday lives.
The virus was just another grim reminder that God’s creation is groaning. And we groan with it, wherever we live and serve, regardless of our country or people group. We inherently know our world has been subjected to corruption that is an equal opportunity offender.
Our groaning is also a hopeful reminder of something wonderful yet to come. Take heart, my sister, from Paul’s call for eager expectation. As we pray, and hope for what we cannot yet see, we wait patiently for the passing of trials, and ultimately, for his glorious appearing.
“Discouraged not by difficulties without, or the anguish of ages within, the heart listens to a secret voice that whispers: "Be not dismayed; in the future lies the Promised Land.” -Helen Keller[1]
[1] http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/Helen-Keller-Quotes/
Wherever we live and serve, there are reminders that creation is groaning. When you struggle with your expectations and your hope in things to come, how do you respond?
When I lived in PNG, I struggled to understand the level of sickness, suffering, and disease I witnessed in the lives of the people and my own inability to do anything about it. My expectations were tempered, but my hope in things to come was upheld by the study of God’s word and the weekly praise, worship, and fellowship with our home group in the global worker community. I still despaired over what I could see, but with their support and insight, I could still hope, and wait patiently, in what I could not see, the glory of things to come.