About a month before the world shut down and COVID became the primary topic of conversation, I stumbled into a new endeavor making greeting cards from vintage photographs. I soon found myself hunting through random boxes of photos and ephemera at local antique stores and flea markets, searching for the opportunity to bring forgotten memories back to life. At the time I didn’t know how meaningful this mission would be in the months to follow, or how much one particular mid-century photograph would come to represent what we are all facing today.
I was immediately taken with this photograph of a derailed train, and that was before I realized exactly what it captured. What I first saw was the obvious – chaos, debris, and a mountain of wreckage that would seem an overwhelming task to clear. But as I looked closer, what I saw made for an even more powerful image. A single person is adjacent to the tracks and the toppled cars. I don’t know the story of what he is doing there or how he arrived at this spot. All that is evident is that he appears small and still amidst a devastating scene. Most importantly, he is standing.
None of us could have predicted the circumstances we have seen manifested in the world since the beginning of this year. And while those circumstances are different for each of us, the challenges and grief over what has been lost are very real. In my circle I have loved ones who are struggling with unemployment, (both COVID and non-COVID related) health concerns, confusion about how to manage a household with everyone stuck at home, and fear about what’s to come. As I think and pray over these situations, I ask the Lord to return my heart to the truth that underlies it all, and He reminds me that we are still here. By His grace and faithfulness, we are still standing despite the wreckage.
Matthew 28:20 is God’s promise of presence. “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This promise is clear and intentional. It does not say that we won’t suffer or that our lives will remain comfortable. His words do not imply continuous happiness and health. Throughout His Word the message is simply that He will remain with us and we are to draw close to Him. The message is also purposeful. The Lord knows that our need for Him will always be great as we navigate life in a world that is constantly changing and ravaged by our own sin.
As we step forward together in this season, remember that you are standing. Not only are you standing, you are planted firmly on the strongest, most unshakeable promise there has ever been. Turn your eyes away from the uncertainty, confusion, and fear you see around you, and lift them to the One who has never let go of you before and certainly isn’t going to start now. He has hope-filled, abundant plans for your heart this year that reach far beyond what you can see today.
Carrie Joy(ful) 