Life before and after
Most people I talk to these days frame their lives into two different times, pre-Covid and post-Covid - what their life was like before and what they hope it will look like after.
My pre-Covid life was busy to say the least. Full-time job, three children (one adult and two teens), being involved in several groups at church, being a taxi service, not to mention the usual domestic chores needing done. Life was busy, generally good, but always busy. I often found myself chasing my tail, constantly organising and planning ahead.
Then suddenly last March, the plug was pulled. Work was on hold. Church meetings, and all things associated with them, were cancelled. No more taxiing children to various music lessons and sporting activities. Life as I knew it stopped. It took me some time to adjust to the new normal, to stop constantly planning for the future. I had nothing to plan except what to cook for dinner. It took me time to stop. I found myself writing lists of jobs to do around house and garden just to keep me busy, but somewhere over the first few weeks I realised that this was an opportunity to rest, breathe, and spend time with God and my family without rushing to the next thing. This was a huge lesson for me to learn, to give myself permission to stop. As difficult and anxious as it was, the first Covid-19 lockdown provided me with time and space to re-evaluate my relationship with God and with others.
Hurry: The greatest enemy of spiritual life in our day
Someone recommended that I read ‘The ruthless elimination of hurry’ by John Mark Comer. Two quotes referenced in the book, resonated with me greatly –
“Hurry is the greatest enemy of spiritual life in our day. Hurry can destroy our souls. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” Dallas Willard
“If the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.” Corrie Ten Boom
In other words, our hurry to get to the next thing on our lists and constant busyness has a negative impact on our relationship with God. I might have been praying and reading my Bible, but was my whole life immersed in God? Or was it just another thing to do on my to-do list?
These were the questions I began to ask myself. I took a long hard look at my relationship with God and began to discuss these things with him. As lockdown went on, people were planning for “when this is over we can …”, but I began to wonder what God wanted to speak into my present moment, for the now not the next.
Seeking God’s continual presence and power
John Ortberg, in his book ‘The life you’ve always wanted’ says, “hurry and busyness cause us to settle for mediocrity in our faith rather than a deep experience of God’s continual presence and power.” I know I don’t want a mediocre faith, I’m pretty sure you don’t, and I’m certain that God doesn’t want that for us either. I wanted to pursue a deeper relationship with God, to have a constant connection with him. But how?
The gospels tell us that Jesus often withdrew to lonely quiet places by himself to talk with the Father. For the three years of his ministry we read Jesus was busy, but he knew he needed to spend that time in solitude with his Father for rest, refreshing, wisdom and guidance - for that close relationship with him. If Jesus did it then how much more do we need to follow his example (Luke 5:16; Mark 1:35)?
Beyond spiritual clock-watching
I began to read of different believers’ experiences of seeking God and a constant connection with him. There were several ideas that they had in common. Each talked about following Jesus’ example and spending time with God in solitude. They gave themselves a framework for their day that included prayer, reading Scripture, sitting in silence waiting for God. However, they all gave this caution - that if these things became an end in themselves, like ticking items on a to-do list, that this was falling into the trap of legalism. Our goal should be life to the full with Jesus, to spend every waking moment conscious of his company – not clock-watching for our next appointment with him.
I began to use a new resource to help me. Every morning first thing I use the Lectio365 app. It prompts me to pause, be still, listen to and read Scripture, wait in God’s presence, to ask him to help me with whatever the coming day brings and to hear what he wants me to do with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Last thing at night, I go over the day and talk to God about it - the good the bad and the ugly, asking forgiveness and thanking him for the day.
Whatever I am doing during the day, whether working or walking, I would find myself chatting and talking to God about anything and everything. I found myself praying for people that I passed by, or stopping to thank God for the beauty around me - something I had been too busy to really appreciate before on a regular basis.
Often I would feel prompted to get in touch with someone, this has been a real help in reaching out to those in our church family while apart. Having moved town, home and church in this last lockdown, it has been amazing to see how God has prompted me and others to reach out and connect to each other and him, while out walking. I am aware that these are simple things but pre-Covid I was too busy and looking to the future to slow down and walk with Jesus and others side by side.
Seeking and finding God in the present moment
Throughout this past year God has been teaching me about the importance of slowing down and spending time with him in silence, listening to him speak through the Bible, giving thanks for his amazing creation around us. I am learning the importance of being with him in the present moment, not dwelling on the past nor looking to the future, but living in close connection with him every second, every minute and every hour of the day. God has plenty to teach us in this present moment and plenty of things he wants us to do to show his love to others.
Every day with Jesus,
Every hour with God
Every minute by the Spirit
Leading me along
In and out of seasons
Winter, spring and fall, its
Every day with Jesus
Every hour with God.
I thank him for the sunshine
I thank him for the rain
I thank him for the trials
That bring me back again to walking…
Everyday with Jesus
Every hour with God
Every minute by the Spirit
Leading me along
When I fall to pieces
That’s when I learn to walk
Every day with Jesus
Every hour with God.
Can’t live in the future
Can’t relive the past
Here and now is precious
Let’s make these moments last.
Every day with Jesus
Every hour with God
Every minute by the Spirit
Leading me along
Oh what sweet communion
Joined to the Three in One
Every day with Jesus
Every hour with God.
Song lyrics Copyright Eilidh Patterson 2020
Hazel McCrea is a member of First Holywood congregation in County Down.
This blog is part of a wider series under the campaign, Refined to help members and congregations during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Visit the Refined hub here.