Today, church looked incredibly different. We looked incredibly different.
Church looked like our living room and we looked like messy hair and pajamas.
It looked different and felt different. But this time, different was exactly what we needed. It took a crisis, a quarantine, and living room service, to lead me back to the heart of Jesus.
I found myself surrounded by the peace of His presence right there during this living room worship. I’ve felt His presence before, but this time it was consuming and powerful. It was undeniable.
I was overcome with emotion. Tears poured down my cheeks. For the first time in weeks, they were tears of hope, of joy, of healing and peace. Things look and feel different. And in this moment, this kind of different feels ok. It feels like a new perspective and new vision for the future.
This is the new look of hope.
Sitting alone, with our minds and hearts focused on Jesus. Focused on a purpose bigger than before. Focused on ultimate peace. Focused on the things that truly matter, rather than the distractions.
As I sat watching the pastor on the screen, I kept hearing a word repeated, over and over again.
Purpose.
Purpose. A word with different meanings and different intentions. A powerful word.
It’s a word I’ve heard a lot lately. Through this pandemic the internet and social media created an expectation that I needed a bigger and more elaborate purpose while being at home. It made me think I needed new hobbies, new activities, and new plans. Suddenly, social media had me intimidated by the word purpose.
Today, through the inspirational words of a pastor, I stopped believing the online intentions of the word, and changed my perspective and focus.
There is immense purpose in this season, and it has nothing to do with new hobbies or time consuming busyness. It has to do with heart, and soul, and peace.
Purpose to love better and more intentionally.
Purpose to believe deeper.
Purpose to be forever faithful.
Purpose to pray through fear and anxiousness.
Purpose for peace, for silence, for listening.
Purpose to refocus the energy of our lives.
Purpose and peace. Two important things that will not just get us through these times of struggle, but will use them as a breakthrough. Breaking through the distraction, preparing your heart and your character, for all that is to come.
Preparing you for a different life than when this all started.
A life with purpose that is crafted through faith, and believing, and Jesus.
Today, church looked different. It felt different too. And because of all of that, I felt different. Different in beautiful ways.
I felt peace and hope for the first time in weeks.
True peace. True hope.
Peace be with you, friends. Today and everyday.
Peace and hope and faith and love. All of it.
