Losing Touch

/ 12 Comments

I’m an analyzer by nature – of myself, others, and just life in general. With this season of life we are all in, I’ve been reflecting on my feelings with the goal to “keep captive my thoughts” (2 Corinthians 10:5). In other words I’m trying to ensure my emotions are not pinballing from fear to depression to anger but staying in control. (Read blog post “Who’s in Control?”)

Life seems to have been put on hold for most of us, and many of our plans for the future have been cancelled. Thinking about some of these emotions – uncertainty and doubt about the future – I supposed they are probably some of the same thoughts the disciples felt when Jesus had been crucified.

The last three years of their lives had been full of amazing experiences: seeing a friend walk on water, scant loaves and fish multiplying to feed thousands, witnessing the healing of the blind and the lame, and so on. Yet in less than 24 hours from when they were going to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, the crucified body of Jesus was placed in a tomb.

The evening of His death, they were afraid and holed up hidden in a back room somewhere. I cannot imagine their conversations or maybe lack of it from being in a daze from all that had just transpired.

In shock.

Doubting the purpose of the last three years.

Life wasn’t normal anymore. Their daily lives had changed. What they believed they were living for had been loss…or so they thought. Everything they had hoped for had come crashing to a halt.

Sound a little bit familiar with your own life?

What the disciples had been living for wasn’t ultimately what Jesus Christ had intended for them. He had a greater purpose for their lives which they were to soon learn (Matthew 28:18-20). He has a greater purpose for our lives too – the same as the disciples’ purpose.

Sometimes we lose touch of our Jesus. The life right in front of our eyes takes precedence, and He loses first place. We need to touch those scars like Thomas and remember Who He is, remember He is alive (John 20:24-27).

Jesus doesn’t want us walking around in defeat.

During this time of an “uncertain” future, we need to keep our focus on Him. It will keep all the unplanned and undesirable things in the peripheral where they belong. Our part right now in the unknown is to be prayerfully faithful in the small things that we can do and know to do. As God’s children we know some things for certain – He is still on the throne, Our God can be trusted, and He loves us with an everlasting love.

During this portion of our lives as we face uncertainty with the pandemic, let us not lose touch. 💕

12 Comments

  • michalskisgreatadventure

    May 11, 2020 at 9:25 am Reply

    This same idea has been in my mind the past couple of days…“Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much…” (Luke 16:10). Days like these call for continued faithfulness in whatever little things we can see, especially because we may not be able to see very much more than our next little step! Our lives are always like that, but circumstances like these can bring it suddenly into a very sharp focus. It’s funny, I posted to my personal FB page just this morning about making a face mask, which was a very literal little-thing that I did that led me to really contemplate doing everything in love, and particularly doing every little thing simply because I love the Lord…https://www.facebook.com/sydney.michalski. Thank you for this post – it’s very timely and well-described, and it’s always especially fun when I find I’m right there on the same page!

    • Leslie

      May 11, 2020 at 11:22 am Reply

      Your words were beautiful on your post! I also love when the Lord is putting the same thoughts/ideas/convictions – whatever you want to call it – on His children’s hearts. It is so important to listen and then act. 💚 Thank you for reading and commenting!

  • Erica

    May 11, 2020 at 10:00 am Reply

    I love this so much! It will be driving much of my thought this week as I do what He’s given me to do for His glory. Thanks for the challenge!

    • Leslie

      May 11, 2020 at 11:26 am Reply

      Thank you for reading and leaving a comment, Erica! 💜 I’m thankful the Lord has used it to challenge you as well as it has me!

  • kathyvlittle

    May 12, 2020 at 10:42 pm Reply

    What a great connection you made, regarding how quickly the Disciple’s lives turned upside-down…… “Life wasn’t normal anymore. Their daily lives had changed.” I’m not sure I had considered that in exactly that way before. But as you so beautifully put it: “What the disciples had been living for wasn’t ultimately what Jesus Christ had intended for them. He had a greater purpose for their lives…..” Very well said! And isn’t it interesting how that same thing could probably be said of us (perhaps more often than we wish were so)…. We have a concept, an idea, a thought, a plan….. each of us do, regarding our own lives and the lives of our family. And certainly I think God would have us be diligent in “working with excellence” in regards to the work he has given us to do…. but your writing gives rise to the consideration that “what I’m living for” (or investing my time in) might not be what God intends for me either! My father-in-law used to say that what this world needed was another depression (meaning our world needed to re-direct our misplaced priorities). Well he certainly never lived to see it, and back when he’d say that, I never actually believed I’d see it either! And yet there we were…. in a Pandemic and the world was shutting down!! We can tend to have almost a casual confidence in our economy and our lifestyles. Misplaced confidence, even. But as we’ve all been seeing how easily and quickly our world and our economy can change, hopefully it has brought many to see with new eyes… opened eyes….. that God IS assuredly in control and this IS His world. Yes…. He has blessed us with so many wonderful gifts…. but we do well to know that He is the giver and we worship HIM, the giver, ….not the gifts! Thank you, dear Leslie, for how you always bring us to ponder! Your iron sharpens ours!

    • Leslie

      May 13, 2020 at 9:29 pm Reply

      I think the older I get, I realize my weaknesses more and more and then can relate better to people in the Bible. I used to always wonder why they did the things they did or responded the way they did, but when we get real, we can admit we are the same way. We sin, plain and simple. I didn’t really plan on writing a post about the pandemic, but when I was still trying to focus on the events of Easter – the “aftermath” – then it came to me how they must have felt during those few short days afterwards. Just the hopelessness and everything. Anyways, I am praying we have been changed through this. I have heard so many good things with missionary friends of mine around the world as well as churches across the US that have had more in “attendance” online than they had in person and online together in the past. My hope is people are looking, searching, and that their eyes and hearts will be open to the Truth. 💕

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