A New Normal
A devotional looking at change and a prayer for God’s help to put the past behind us and look forward to a new normal.
SCRIPTURE:
When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. —Genesis 8:11–
THOUGHT:
In the next few weeks or so, many schools will be returning to “in-classroom” teaching. Not everyone of course, but a good portion of students will be coming back to at least a “sense” of normalcy.
I believe it is appropriate to ask everyone to pray for all involved – students, teachers, adjunct personnel, administration, and the families who will be at possible risk when the students and school personnel return home. I realize that it is a precarious situation at best to return to physical learning. Yet, with courage and a bit of tenacity, those involved in the learning process will be stepping out and into to an almost brand new situation. Also, students (whether Kinder or college) were ever meant to learn from a computer-only environment.
We need to be aware though that this “almost new” situation, is not really what we have experienced in the past. Many new adjustments will need to be made and many historical experiences are no longer viable. It is almost mind-boggling to realize how many changes need to be made to accommodate everyone’s safety. All the things we “touch” during the day are now off-limits. The closeness of “lines” in school are a thing of the past. The hot lunch line, sharing pencils or books, sharing toys, recess, gym class, sitting close to your best friend at lunch, etc. etc. etc..
So…I am reminded of the story of Noah and the Ark. We are all familiar with the story. Yet, when I think about the feat of having animals aboard a boat for several weeks, in close proximity to each other, and no outdoor bathroom …..it is disgusting! If we let ourselves really imagine what it may have been like, well, I don’t want to go there for too long. True, it was necessary. It was obedient. It saved lives. It continued the animal kingdom. It perpetuated the human race. It taught about the omnipotence of God to generations to come. Many lessons were accomplished by God through the obedience of Noah and his family. Yet, if I am frank with you, I cannot imagine being on a boat with seven other family members for that long! Forget the animals, let’s be truthful. Does anyone really want to be trapped with their entire family in a situation like that? Truthfully, I suspect the feelings that I am experiencing are not very different from what Noah and his family may have experienced.
So, when that dove returned with a freshly plucked leaf, what a revelation it must have been! First, a FRESH leaf! Nature! Newness! WOW! Then, the recognition that the water had receded sufficiently to be able to open the door of the Ark! Freedom! Ground to walk on! Able to see the blue sky and the expanse of Gods’ kingdom! FRESH AIR!!! Magnificent!
This pandemic has given us a newfound appreciation for the things we have taken for granted. It’s not going to be perfect when we return, but we will be at least attempting to get back to normal, just like Noah. New faces not on a computer screen! Friends that we can hear without “unmuting”. The comparison seems to be poignant. Getting released. Being free again. Feeling a sense of newness and freshness. Feeling a rush of humanity (socially distanced of course). We have a ways to go for sure. We are not out of danger. We need to be very, very careful. I suspect that the first few steps that Noah and his family took on dry ground were tentative and purposeful. Ours will be too. If we emulate Noah though, we will be in a better position to succeed.
The first thing Noah did was build an altar to the Lord. He honored God for getting him through the flood and recognized Gods Sovereignty. He recognized his Creator, God the Father, Maker of Heaven and Earth. Then, to let Noah know that God was pleased with his obedience and respect, He sent a gift to the people, ……a RAINBOW! The symbol that He would never flood the whole earth again. A binding covenant. A covenant that exists even today. (I know, you’re probably thinking about Harvey, but remember it wasn’t the whole earth. LOL).
I don’t know if we will have a symbol for the return to normalcy or even if we really need one. Yet we will “mark” our place in history too. Believing in Gods’ healing powers, in Gods’ omnipotence, and in Gods’ normalcy.
Maybe, just maybe, this will be like a dove flying out and bringing back the hope that we all crave and the hint of normalcy for our world.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Creator, we thank you for everything you have made for us. Please help us to put the past behind us and look forward to a new normal. Help us to cope with the fact that nothing is going to be the same but that we can adjust our lives so that our children can learn again. Help us to be safe and healthy. Give us the tools to do the best job we can for our children, our future. Please bring another RAINBOW to our world.
AMEN.
DOUBLE RAINBOW GUY ORIGINAL NO shared by kdenslilmama on YouTube
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