We had two toddlers and Tom and I found ourselves living with my parents. What was only supposed to be a few months turned into three and a half YEARS! This was the last place I wanted to be. I wanted my own home. I wanted us to be on our own. There were long days when Tom was working or at school (His decision to go back to college was part of what prolonged our stay.) I was home with two small children, alone, without a car, trapped. Mom and Dad were generous and flexible and it really helped us to be living there. I just wanted to be somewhere else and it seemed to last forever!
As difficult as that time was for me, I know that God did some things inside of me that I wouldn't go back and undo if I could. One thing I learned is to persevere, to be patient and wait for Him to move us in His time. Perhaps that is a lesson that you are learning during this time of staying at home. What is God teaching you during this season?
Even as parts of our state open and our area has moved into Phase One of a four-phase process, not a lot has changed for most of us. The kids are still needing homeschooling. We are still out of work or working from home. The grocery stores still lack certain items. Public gatherings, like church services are still not approved. How are you doing with staying in place?
How do you handle it when God keeps you in a place you don't want to be? My three-year stay at Mom and Dad's helped me learn a lot. Maybe some of it will help you.
"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58
Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Where do you most want to go? Even the most beautiful, safe place is off limits right now. Home is where you are. Home is the extent of your boundary, even if you do go to work. If you are always going somewhere else in your thoughts, you may be missing a beautiful gift. What might God have for you right now at home?
During the time I felt stuck at my parents I longed to be elsewhere, but at a certain point, I decided to accept it and determined to make the best of it. I decided to accept those limitations as God's will for me for that time. I found that the best place to be is in God's will, even if it isn't what I expected or would have chosen.
Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord. Have you considered that God might have work for you to do right where you are? You may be looking ahead and longing for a return to group gatherings. What if you are missing an opportunity right now? You may not be able to serve where you normally do at church, but what might God have for you to do in your home or your neighborhood? Open your eyes to the assignment of now and give yourself to it. Don't miss it!
My main task when at Mom and Dad's was caring for my kids. We spent LOTS of time together. I didn't have the responsibility of caring for a home or cooking more than the kids' meals. From when they woke up until they went to bed, my two children were my assignment. I didn't do it perfectly, but I gave myself to that assignment. We made a lot of memories during that time.
And when they went to bed, my time was my own while Tom had late work or class. I read books that helped me grow and listened to messages that shaped my life. I invested in my relationship with God in a way that would not have been possible if I had been consumed with the day-to-day tasks of caring for a home. God gave me a season where I could focus on Him in a unique way, even though I didn't realize that was happening at that time. How might God be calling you to Himself through this time?
Your labor in the Lord is not in vain. You can't see it now, but the investment you make in the assignment God has given you right now will have results, whether you see it this side of heaven or not. I don't know what the situation is like at your house. It may be tense and trying. It may be exceedingly lonely. You may feel like all your efforts are unappreciated and useless, but they aren't. God sees you, my friend. And whatever you attempt because of your love for Him, even caring for those who don't seem to see you at all, even taking extra time in the Word or in prayer, is not in vain. He sees. He knows. He accepts your offering of love. The NLT translates this part of the verse like this: "...nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." Are you fully committed to God's purpose for you right now?
Dear One, don't miss the blessing of now. It may not be what you would have chosen for yourself. It may be exceptionally difficult in this season. But there is a gift waiting for you in this time of quarantine quiet. Stand firm. Give yourself to your stay-at-home assignment. You will find it to be something God will use to accomplish His purposes.
What I had first thought of as a time of being stuck at home, turned out to be a time of deep change and improved quality of character. God has that for you, my friend. What are you learning?
Key thought: Stuck at home does not mean stagnant. Accept the assignment of now.
A Scripture to consider: "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58
A YES Challenge: Take a sheet of paper and prayerfully make a list of lessons that you have been learning during your stay at home. You may be surprised at how much God has been teaching you. In prayer, commit to fully accept your assignment of now.
Prayer: Father, there is a lot I would rather be doing right now. I would rather not be at home. I would rather not be limited in where I can go and what I can do. Yet, You have me here for this season, not the government. Help me to accept the limitations You have put around me and help me to learn from You and learn of You. Help me to give myself fully to Your purpose for me in this season. Amen.