The Governor of South Carolina’s announcement that some non-essential businesses would be allowed to reopen as well as some beaches on Monday sits in juxtaposition to his announcement today that schools will be closed for the remainder of the school year. If you like it’s hard to tell which direction we are heading in and whether we are getting closer to a new normal or are really far from it, you are not alone.
I can remember running my first half marathon stateside. I was running with my sister-in-law and good friend. It was a half marathon and a full marathon and as we passed the turn for the marathoners to go one way and the half marathoners to go another way, I can remember that we looked at each other and said, “We should have definitely done the full. We’ll do that next time.” That was six miles in and by the time we all hit mile ten, we realized there was no way that we could have run the full marathon.
Is this where you are? Do you feel like you signed up for a 5K with two weeks of homeschooling and work from home and then realized that you were actually signed up for a marathon?
That’s how it feels to me and I have to admit that I am tired and thirsty from this journey so far and I have no idea how much longer we are going to have to keep going.
I can’t help but wonder if this is the very same feeling the people of God had in the middle of the wilderness journey. We hear their complaints to Moses and to the Divine even though the Divine was providing their daily bread and even though the Divine was walking with them every step of the way.
The people of God had the same complaint about thirst and fatigue in the midst of their journey. In chapter 17 in Exodus, the Lord tells Moses:
‘I’ll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock and water will come out of it, so the people can drink.’
Take drink the word of the Lord that promises that the Divine is with you as you walk this journey.