Redirected
“As we watch the coronavirus redirect the world around us, we are reminded how quickly our plans can change.”
2 Minute Read
By Ruth Haugen
“Redirect the world around us.”
From the moment I read that phrase, it’s been rattling around my head. I’ve been mulling it over, resting in the uncanny calm it brings me. Somehow it gives me the courage to face what’s going on outside the walls of my house that I now rarely leave.
To me, it sweetly whispers an assurance that this current trial is temporary. There is still hope that the life we were leading before COVID-19 engulfed our world will still be there when we step outside and resume living.
Is This the New Normal?
But, while I try to rest in this state of presumed calm, I hear and feel the words “new normal” blaring and jabbing at me, trying to break through the peace I desperately need to rest in.
Contrary to the security I feel when thinking about our current situation being a redirection, the thought of it being our new normal grates at me. Every fiber in me feels the need to fight against what I see as something I have to accept as a new normal.
“New normal” implies this, or something similar, is how life is going to be from here on out. There is an implication that there’s nothing we can do about it, so we should just accept it and move on. This belief makes us feel powerless as if we are in a holding pattern until someday life feels normal again. That does not sit right with me, or as a favorite pastor used to say, “That dog don’t hunt.” Life is always about forward momentum and we have God’s Word that nothing is ever wasted!
We Can Weather the Storm
I saw a tweet from educator Dr. Brad Johnson that really drove this concept home. He said “[Schools,] remember this is not the new normal. This is just surviving a crisis. You don’t build a new home in a storm; you weather the storm and then regroup when it is over.”
This sits well with my brain—this makes sense to me.
“Redirect the world around us.”
The thought of being redirected means we are still moving forward. We are still going to reach our destination, but are taking a slight detour. We are not abandoning ship or treading water until our strength gives way. We are shifting course, riding the storm out, and still tethered to our source of strength and hope—the life-line we hold to every day.
“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil.” -Hebrews 6:19 (NKJV)
God Is in Control
God is still in control of everything. Every detail of our lives is in his hands. We still have an unbreakable tether to him and his love and care for us. He will guide and help us navigate, and we will undoubtedly come through this storm different than when we entered it. Let us all pray we emerge better followers of our Lord and Savior, still holding tightly to him.
“But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.” -Joshua 23:8 (NIV)
Ruth has served more than half of her life in ministry. A former high school English teacher, she transitioned to digital and print communications over 15 years ago and currently manages all that good stuff for a major international ministry and has been a contributor to the OMF Communications team for over 3 years. In her down time, she loves to hang out with her husband of 25+ years, teenage son, cats, and backyard chickens. She is an avid reader, crochet enthusiast, and team coordinator for the family race team which her son drives for.
I absolutely agree. Stop calling it the new normal. There is nothing normal about it- it’s an emergency response, not a settler lifestyle. The “peace of God” in us and “the God of peace” with us- that’s a normal lifestyle for a believer. Thank you for your article.
So good!
Excellent read and rings true for me. Rest in the Peace of God and come through stronger.