When There’s Nothing Left to Do But Write
Blog by Kristen Hicks
Full disclosure… I haven’t hated this season. I have enjoyed the rest. I have enjoyed slowing down and not having to live up to the expectations and demands of so many different people and things I’ve committed to. Granted in a lot of ways, my life hasn’t changed as much as some peoples. But I have enjoyed evenings at home—picnics with my sister and going on drives just for the heck of it— cooking, movie marathons, walks, dance parties in the kitchen, sitting out on the porch or deck and just allowing the day to breathe.
The longer I live this way the more I’m beginning to believe this is how life was intended to be lived. Slowly. Just throw in a few people over for dinner and a game night and I think that would be just about perfect. I crave it. I’ve craved it for a while I think. To simplify life in such a way that the meaning of “family” goes deeper than blood. That the understanding of “home” becomes more than just a place I crash for a few hours. That the word “playing” begins with outside, creativity and adventure and it isn’t limited to an age group— and that maybe, just maybe it doesn’t involve a screen.
Isn’t it interesting that to get back to these things we had to be separated from each other. Yes, I am so much aware that the screens are still involved, and praise God for that, am I right? But that He would give us over to them completely so that we would finally tire of them and put them down. We finally crave actual connection again.
My heart hurts for people. It hurts for the ones who are all alone in hospital beds. For the ones who are weary and exhausted from working hard in taking care of them. It hurts for those who have lost loved ones suddenly, or who fear they might because it’s not looking good. It hurts for the ones who have lost their jobs and they have no idea how they are going to pay their bills this month, or next month, or who knows. It hurts for those who are at home with no way to feed their kids. For those who are even at home trying to figure out how to entertain their kids without sticking them in front of a TV all day. It hurts for the seniors who didn’t know that their last normal day of high school was their last normal day of high school and it hurts for the teachers who didn’t really get to say goodbye. And it hurts for those who are wrapped up in constant anxiety and fear—the unknown taking over every thought.
I have had a couple moments here and there of the “what if one of my family members or friends gets it?” or “what if I get it?” But one of the first nights of realizing how bad all this was getting, I heard a whisper in my heart, saying, “You will keep in perfect peace…” Sometimes I hear the Word but I have to look up where it came from and sometimes I don’t hear all of it. It came from Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you.”
I have been wrestling with all this since it started because early on, I realized this season was a gift. But from a lot of the world, it’s being projected as a curse. And please hear me, we need a miracle, and the Lord is the only one who can give it to us, no matter how much we social distance ourselves and shut things down.
But might I suggest we pray differently. Might we pray away the virus, but not pray away the season. Because the more I have fixed my eyes on Jesus and seen through the perspective of Heaven and of perfect peace and trusting in Him… I see families being restored. I see parents taking time to sit down and disciple their kids. I see people being so incredibly intentional to love each other and serve one another with so much joy, compassion, and encouragement. I see Love doing and I see Love winning. And the harder it gets, and I think it might get a little harder before its all said and done (mostly because of how long it’s gonna take), I see the body of Christ praying bolder, scarier, more intentional prayers than we’ve have ever prayed. I see us making our most honest prayers and our tears our worship. And I see that creating a deeper intimacy with the Father than we’ve ever had before. Intimacy can’t happen without honesty. We are a body that is great at gathering— something that I believe the Lord is pleased with. But I think He is wanting to take us deeper and that deepness and closeness first happens in the secret place. We can’t be one with each other until we are first One with Him— and oneness happens through intimacy with Him. This is where the gift is. The gift is when we get to lean more into Him than we ever have before. He is the gift—more of His heart, more of His perspective, more of just Him.
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So to all my friends… both the ones I know and don’t know… I want you to know that I am praying for you, along with a lot of other people.
To our friends who are sick, we are praying for your healing, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And although we can’t come visit you, we are praying and asking for His Presence to be so incredibly tangible in your room that you feel so loved and surrounded and well taken care of. We are praying for a quick recovery and for there to be no permanent damage to your body.
To our friends who are taking care of them. We are praying for supernatural strength and supernatural rest. We are praying that you are encouraged. And that the Holy Spirit is your guide and aid, even leading you while you are on duty. We pray for you to have wisdom and discernment and we pray protection over you and your families.
To our friends who can’t be with their sick loved ones. We are praying for peace that you know and believe that the Lord is both present with you and with them at the same time. He is omnipresent. He is the Connection and the Source. We pray that you know that your heart is being taken care of by Him who is most capable and your prayers are being heard.
To our friends who have lost loved ones during this time. The Lord said that blessed are you who mourn for you will be comforted. He is the Counselor and the Comforter. We are praying for the pain in your heart at the loss you’ve experienced. We are praying for His Presence to be a constant reminder that you are not alone in your grief and that everything you feel is seen and known. Jesus is with you.
To our friends who have lost their jobs, we are praying for Jesus to show Himself strong as Provider. He once told his disciples to pull a coin out of the mouth of a fish. He is who He says He is and He is trustworthy and knows exactly what you need. He will often times use His body to provide for the needs of His people, so tell us what you need and if we can help we will.
To our friends who are trying to figure out how to entertain their kids. We pray that you find your identity in the Father’s smile and delight. His delight over you is not measured by how well you perform as a parent but He delights in you because you are His child. He understands the weight and hardship of being a parent. Know that you are doing great! First of all, acknowledge that. You are made in the image of our Heavenly Father, therefore you are creative. Kids love repetition, it’s ok to repeat things. And it’s also ok to give yourself a break and turn on the movie. Bring them into your world. If you like to paint, let them paint with you. If you are cooking, let them cook with you. Give yourself permission to make a mess with them. And don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for ideas and help. But you are doing a great job and your kids are going to look back on this season and remember how much fun they had because they were spending time with you!
To our friends who are paralyzed by fear and anxiety of this season and the unknowns of it, we are praying for the Lord to reveal how close He really is to you. We pray that His Presence is tangible to you while you lay awake in your bed at night. He is with you. That isn’t just a good idea or a hope we have, it was a promise from Him. He is with you and He is for you! Take a few deep breaths. Take a moment and think about your testimony. Think about your life thus far. Write some things down that you can see the Lord walking you through. Recount all the times He comforted you and was there for you. Remind your heart and mind of who Jesus is to you and how He has never left you in the past. He loves you. Period. No ifs, ands or buts. He just loves you because He loves you because He loves you. Might I also encourage you to call a friend. Confess it to them, and ask them to pray with you.
To our friends who are lonely. First and foremost you are seen and known and heard. Nothing that you do, no move that you make goes unnoticed. Praying for you to come to know the Holy Spirit personally. Melissa Helser always says, “the Lord gave us the Holy Spirit as a gift to swallow up loneliness once and for all.” Praying that you come to know Him as your closest, dearest friend in this season. He never ever leaves you and you can tell Him anything and everything. His voice is that of a whisper, but it is loud enough to silence any enemy.
To all my friends who are missing the rest of this year of school, the seniors. We are praying for peace for your heart. I am learning to believe that when I am dealing with a disappointment it usually means that the Lord has something different, better and unique in store for you instead. I am believing this for you. That your class gets to see Him move and do things to celebrate you and also accomplish His will for you like no one has ever imagined. We are proud of you! You are seen and we celebrate you alongside the Father! We can’t wait to see what He is going to do with each of your lives as your yield to Him.
To all my friends who are healthy. Can I just say, well done!! It has been such an honor to be apart of this time in history and to see the good that is still in the hearts of humanity. Thank you for being encouraging and following through with what you can bring to the table for others to feast off of. Thank you for your kind words, your positive thinking, and your extra mile gestures. We are praying for the blessing of the Lord to fill up even more so that you may continue to overflow with His goodness and heart towards others.
A song came out right before all the social distancing. It’s called “The Blessing.” It was written, sang and recorded all within a week. And I found it to be so timely for this time. I believe this is what the Father is singing over us as His Church! May your house be filled with His Presence and that you know His Love more intimately than ever before! God Bless you and your family!
Kristen