Calling Over Circumstance

In the middle of the corona virus quarantine, my youngest daughter delivered her second child last Thursday. The hospital was screening people before entry by Friday and banned visitors by Saturday.

We're all experiencing changes we've never seen before. It's jarring, confusing, and scary. However, consider three things that haven't changed with this circumstance:

1. God's love and control of all things
2. God's presence in this moment
3. God's calling on your life

When my daughter was in high school, she began to believe her school was focused only advanced college placement. She felt this was somehow unfair and debilitating to her.  I just listened at first but it continued to derail her.  

She's very fair-skinned and sunburns easily, so one sunny day, I told to her, "it sure is a beautiful sunny day out here, although it's a bit hot.   Seems to me your reality is just like this. The sun is a huge blessing even if you get sunburned easily.  But it comes out every day no matter what. Now, what are you going to do about it -- stay indoors,  put on sunscreen, wear long sleeves and a hat?"

While Corona adds a new danger we don't fully understand to the world, it is a drop in the ocean of dangerous things we live with every single day.

So, what are you going do about it?

Certainly, this includes washing your hands, self-quarantine, staying healthy.

But what about God's calling on your life? It didn't go away just because this new virus showed up. There is some comic relief in exploring the exhaustive memes on this topic for awhile but then what?  Maybe this is a special moment and opportunity to improve your strategy.

1. Can I use this time for development which normally takes a backseat to urgency?
2. Does this highlight new business opportunities that I can leverage?
3. Does this highlight any business weaknesses that I can now work to overcome?
4. Does this give me an opportunity to get beyond my control and lean into God's direction in my life and work in a new and powerful way?
5. Does this help me get to the essential reality of identity despite this momentary circumstance – my oneness with Christ?

The corona virus pandemic is bringing new fear and new challenges to every single person that you meet. This creates huge opportunities for Christ to love and serve others through us directly in the middle of our existing calling.  We have to get past asking why or complaining about the disruption and start asking, "how should I uniquely partner with you, Lord, to love and serve others in this moment?"

Prayer for Calling Through Circumstances

Lord, help us to not be dismayed by circumstances in our life. Remind us that you are in control, that your present, and that you are working in all things  including that which you've uniquely called us to  in our lives and work. Open our eyes to see what you are doing in this circumstance, and renew our minds so we can partner with you in the restoration of all things.