I don’t know about you, but the last year and a half have felt anything but normal. And I thrive much better when things feel normal. I’m sure we all do. Covid alone has wreaked havoc on our lives and our souls, taking lives and ruining school years and stealing income and shutting down businesses. I can’t even talk about it most of the time because I feel numb at this point. Religious and political and racial tension have been out of control. We are inundated with social media and endless opinions and bad news. 

Then there are the natural disasters and wars and brokenness everywhere that keep upending not only our lives, but lives of people all over the world. The effects of the Fall are all around us. And I’m exhausted. Are you? 

We are at this point where we don’t know which way is up anymore. Our kids start school and then are out for several weeks because of Hurricane Ida. We get into better work rhythms after Covid, and then it changes again and again. We can’t watch the news anymore because all news is too much. It’s just all too much. 

It’s hard enough to watch the world suffer from afar, not knowing how to help and feeling heartbroken over the state of it. Then it’s hits closer to home, and we don’t know what to do anymore. Helplessness slams into us, and it quickly becomes hopelessness. 

Will it ever feel normal again? 

Maintaining our health, work, families, relationships, and responsibilities is hard enough, but when the waves keep bringing us under, those things become nearly impossible. And you know what else feels shaken right now? Our faith. 

When we were driving home after evacuating after Ida, my little girl said in a quiet voice, “Mom, I thought God was nice.” I said, “He is. Why do you say that?” She said, “If he was so nice, then why would he let all these people suffer from the hurricane? Why is there so much damage?” 

I didn’t know how to respond in that moment. Tears fell down my face as my little girl put into words how I’ve been feeling for the past year and a half. 

Where are you God? 

We can’t seem to find you. 

We can’t seem to find our way. 

One wave after another. One catastrophe after another. When will life ever settle down? When will we be able to catch our breath so we can focus on our health again? Our relationships and responsibilities again? 

Y’all, I’m not sure I have the answers for you here. I don’t know when life will feel somewhat normal again, if it ever will. I don’t know when the bad news will pause. I don’t know when our kids will have a normal school year. I know we are all so tired. And maybe even a bit hopeless. 

But I do know the answer to one question:

God hasn’t left. 

He’s still here. 

But just because he is here doesn’t mean suffering magically goes away. 

In fact, it’s promised. 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

The trouble may not go away this side of heaven. The hurricanes will still come. Disease will remain. Grief will, too. But in Jesus, we have peace. 

Peace is what I know I’ve been missing in my life and in my soul in this past year and a half. My spiritual director recently made me pause and answer the question, “What does your soul need right now?” With tears in my eyes, I simply said, “peace.” 

Don’t we all need this? We need peace. The peace that only comes from Jesus. The circumstance may not change, but He remains. He is here. He hasn’t gone anywhere. 

Now is the time to return to Him. 

If you are also having a hard time finding which way is up, if you are grieving and broken and lost, our counselors at Full Life are ready to sit with you and walk through it together. Don’t hesitate to call and make your health a priority right now. There is still hope, even if it feels far away. Let’s remember that together.