"Consider the Ravens..."

We're right in the middle of Easter weekend. I've heard friends say they enjoy the Good Friday service as much as Easter Sunday and obviously, Sunday is what the whole thing is about... but honestly, I enjoy Easter Saturday the most. Maybe that seems random -- it's the day of nothing, no special events, no big hurrah. Exactly. Easter Saturday is the most down-to-earth, realistic view of what it's like to live as a Christian. I love it because I can identify with it 364 other days of the year. Easter Sunday is the high point and causes us to celebrate the good things, and Good Friday's deep sorrow walks with us in the low points. But Saturday is a whole lot of "Now what?" It's really quiet. And it's up to us to handle it. The way we handle silence and uncertainty reveals a lot about our beliefs and our character. (Just look at how our world is handling the COVID-19 crisis. Uncertainty is revealing a LOT of both character flaws and personal resi...

In part 3, I'd like to wrap this up by talking about loneliness and longing. (If you missed Part 1 or Part 2 , click the underlined text.) When we recognize that we're experiencing loneliness, it can be really tempting to try and fill it with something just to make the awkwardness go away. But if we just pacify it, we won't grow. We need to understand why we long for peace or comfort in the first place. Right about now, we're all beginning to wonder when quarantine will actually  end. The predictions are all over the map and the truth is, no one really knows. All that's certain right now is... uncertainty. Well, and, I think it's safe to say most people are craving a return to normal. But, what is normal? And, is that really what you want? I know each of you can quickly generate a picture of your "normal," and while I'm sure it's fantastic, I just want to think through the longings of our hearts with a biblical lens. Here are some ques...

I'm glad you're here. This conversation about loneliness is important, especially as we continue to navigate the uncharted waters of continual quarantine due to COVID-19. In the first post of this series, we acknowledged that loneliness is part of the human condition. Since we are no longer in the Garden of Eden, we are aware of our separation from God and from each other. We experience loneliness because something is broken. If quarantine life has you feeling a little bit broken, you're not the only one -- you're normal. :) So how should we handle our loneliness? Once we acknowledge its presence, what do we do with it? Now, I don't claim to have any kind of corner on the market here, but as an introvert who lives alone and has lived far away from my family/social structures from childhood, I can tell you I've walked some dark paths with loneliness. Maybe you have too. Or, maybe today's the day. You didn't realize it when the new year rang in, but...

Hello from the middle of quarantine. I hope this post finds you well-rested, healthy, and thankful even as many of us grapple with new feelings of being bored, anxious in a different way, and a little bit purposeless in a world that seems to change every day. Many have asked how I am doing, and to be honest, I'm great (all things considered). I've come to the realization that my life isn't terribly different than quarantine life... but that's what's driving me to write this series. Many of my friends who are extroverts or who have jobs that require a lot of social interaction are finding themselves experiencing something they haven't felt in a long time, if ever. I, however, am well-acquainted with it. It's something our society doesn't like to talk about -- a word we relegate to the ultra-homebodies, the socially displaced, and those with very, very sad life stories. But today, I think it's all of us to some degree. Whether we'll admit it or n...

I once heard somebody describe a season in their life as a “box of darkness.” The phrase confused me and unsettled me.   I didn’t like the idea that someone could just hand someone else something that was harmful. Over the years, that phrase has occasionally resurfaced in my mind. Now, on the cusp of yet another birthday, I find myself understanding it a little more. If you were with me this week last year, you may remember a few days when I was not quite myself. It was Spring Break and the week of my birthday, so my routine was off, but it was more than that. This week last year was one of the more subtly intense ones of my young adulthood. I don’t know what it was about that particular week, but turning 30 hit me like a freight train. And, before I worry anyone – no, it hasn’t been the worst year of my life, there’s no hidden messages in this post and I’m (God-willing) not dying of a rare disease or about to shock you with some bit of news. But I can tell you without hesita...