Author: Kevin

I am a follower of Jesus, husband, pastor, author, and caffeine addict. Please follow me on Facebook or Twitter. You may also want to consider subscribing to the RSS feed.

Birthdays, an Anniversary, and a Worldwide Pandemic

May 11th, 2020

I try to take time every once in a while to reflect on life and the ways God has blessed us. Four significant events have occurred over the past few weeks. Three of them were cause to celebrate. One event . . . well . . . wasn’t.

Covid-19

This virus began dominating the international news early in 2020. I didn’t pay that much attention to it at first. I was living in Asia, after all, back when SARS caused a worldwide panic. SARS never directly affected my life, and I assumed that Covid-19 wouldn’t either.

Needless to say, I underestimated what this microbe would do to the world. The first case officially arrived here in El Paso on March 13th. We had worship on March 15th and announced we would not be gathering together again for the rest of the month. Our primary concern was protecting our older members. We have not been able to gather for worship since.*

Covid-19 has cast a shadow over all the other life events that have come and gone in the past two months. Governments all over the world have stifled normal economic, educational, and social activities in an attempt to control the spread of infection. Many are wondering if this strategy has caused more damage than the virus itself, but I am not inclined to write about that debate. Maybe I will some other time. Maybe not.

Eight Years Together

Mare Cris and I celebrated eight years of marriage a few days after the before-mentioned arrival of Covid-19. “Celebrated” may not be the best word: Cris was sick, and I’m not sure there was any place we could have gone if she had been well. Regardless, we are grateful for another year of life together.

Two Years Old

Clark at the pediatrician’s office (2-year checkup)

My son turned two back in March. I took him for his medical checkup, where I learned he is in the 95th percentile of height for his age. He seems to get stronger and more rambunctious with each passing day.

Birthday/Mother’s Day

My 48th birthday fell on Mother’s Day this year. We had a small celebration at the house.

Thank you, Lord!

May 10th, 2020

 

*Update: Our church was able to continue worshiping again in June–a few weeks after I wrote this post.

Let Go, Trust God

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 
-Ephesians 3:13-14

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
-Luke 9:62

Lately I’ve been reflecting on a particular flaw in my character that the Lord has exposed–an issue that I can see repeatedly when I look back at my life. I could summarize it this way:

1. At times I’ve tried to hold on to that which wasn’t meant for me.
2. I’ve caused myself considerable grief by doing so.

Put another way, I’ve had to learn how to let go.

I’ve learned to let go of the past. Letting go of guilt certainly applies. But I’m thinking more in terms of seasons of life that I enjoyed immensely. I’ve had a tendency to try to prolong or even recreate these. But life just doesn’t work that way: seasons come and go, and God has a purpose for each one (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).

I don’t want to miss the blessings of this moment or the future by trying to re-live yesterday.

I’ve learned to let go of people. There are relationships of all sorts that simply failed the test of loyalty or time. There are mentors and friends that God graciously sent my way, each according to what I needed, before moving on. There are loved ones I’ll never see again this side of eternity. These are just a few examples that come to mind.

I can be thankful for the lessons learned. I can cherish the memories. I can grieve.

But I can’t hang on.

I’ve learned to let go of rejection. Not every opportunity I pursue is meant for me. I learned this most recently (and painfully) during our first three years here in the States after returning from the mission field (2013-2016). I remember those times when I second-guessed myself or even the Lord because His only answer came in the form of closed doors.

I want to have a heart like Moses, who desired to go only where the Lord was leading. He loved the presence of God more than the promised land (Exodus 33:15).

I’ve had to learn how to let go.

Granted, there are times when God’s will isn’t so clear–times when we need to ask, seek, and knock until know the next step (Matthew 7:7). We can trust God to show us His will in His perfect time (Proverbs 3:5-6).

But that’s not what I’m talking about here.

There are times when God clearly shows us that whatever (or whoever) we are clinging to is not from Him. His blessing isn’t in it, and nothing we do, no argument we present, will ever change His mind.

These are the times when it’s best to let go.

Letting go may be temporarily painful, but disobedience always hurts more in the long run.

Letting go gives you the freedom to fully pursue God’s best for you–whatever that may mean.

We can let go with the confidence that God knows best. He has a plan for His glory and our joy.