In the months before Covid stuck, some areas of my life felt as if they were spiraling. We were trudging waist-deep through the unknown so significantly that the fear I was enduring left me with no bandwidth to care about the ravages of Covid on our nation and around the world. Some areas of my life needed rescue and felt like they were on life support. I don't recall how this scripture presented itself during those toughest months, but I wrote it down on a Post-It note and stuck it to the dashboard of my car: "In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
In that verse, I felt comforted by the God of all creation, who makes all things new, who can heal bodies and change hearts and minds. And the lyrics to this song, "Into the Sea" were especially comforting and appropriate, as this time of trouble started on a beach, standing where the earth meets the sea.
From beginning to end You're so close
You have never let me down and You won't
In the valleys, in the shadows, I know
You're so close, You're so close.
Though the mountains may be moved into the sea
Though the ground beneath might crumble and give way
I can hear my Father singing over me
It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay.
The God who is big enough to fashion the mountains and the seas, is the same God who knows me, cares about me, suffers with me, envelopes me with His love and comforts me. So I am reminded to take heart and know that with God all things are possible. I never would have imagined God could do what He did for us. I just pray He will do something mighty through us as well, so that we have a chance to share with others the comfort we received, which was hope. Hope is healing, so take heart!