The New Normal

By the time you’re reading this, I hope we’re transitioning back to a sense of normalcy. The start of 2020 is something that will go down in history as unprecedented–a global pandemic, social (and physical) distancing, schools closed, vacations and travel plans cancelled, online church services, zoom happy hours, and working from home becoming the new norm. However we return to socialization, I think at this point, we can all agree that it will likely look and feel different.

There have been times during this quarantine where I have been swept up in waves of anxiety, spiraled downward analyzing fears, and been paralyzed from being productive. I have bad days – days where I questioned my career in healthcare, felt isolated and exhausted as a parent of two toddlers, and where I’ve googled more symptoms than I care to admit.  There’s no “normal” way to react to a global pandemic. Some of you have been asked to perform roles you’re uncomfortable with, like a stay-at-home parent or a school teacher.

My question now is, how do we move forward? What does it look like to go back to work, back to school, hang out in groups, travel, worship in church, and eat out at a restaurant? And how do we “break” quarantine without being ruled by fear? How do you draw the line of living in fear, versus taking proper precautions to protect yourself and those you love? I’m sure many of you have struggled with these same questions. Our pastor put it simply when at the start of quarantine, he said, “Move forward in faith, not backwards in fear.”

How has God been faithful to you during this pandemic?

Here’s a few examples for me:

• My husband’s travel schedule has been halted, allowing us loads of quality time to grow our marriage
• God has kept my family healthy and protected
• The ability to work from home has given me more time with my energetic toddlers

Your examples of his faith may look different than mine of course. Since God has kept his promises to provide for us, even during a global pandemic, how much more should we trust him going forward? As we move forward with questions and uncertainty, let’s give those fears to God. Because truly, God is the only one who knows how this will turn out. Despite all the CDC advice, government enforced lockdowns, and doctor recommendations, our future is truly in God’s hands. Comment below on ways God has been faithful to you over the past few months, and the things that you are looking forward to as part of your “new normal.”

Isaiah 41:13 (NIV):For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear, I will help you.

Things I’m looking forward to:

• Hugging my parents (and my friends!)
• Going out to eat
• Hosting friends in our home
• Playdates for my toddlers

Stay safe friends! And lets move forward in faith together into this new normal.

Sarah is a wife, mom of twins, runner, biker, dog lover, and daughter of Christ. Balancing the life of a working mom, she runs on words of encouragement, baby snuggles, and caramel macchiatos.  For more from Sarah look here. Check out and listen to any of our Bible studies here. Tune in to your favorite radio station, listen to our podcast on iTunes, or listen through TuneIn, Stitcher or Spotify.