It鈥檚 been six months since the world was taken by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Almost every aspect of our lives has been somehow impacted. Jobs, finances, mental health, emotional health and spiritual health have all been incredibly challenged during this unusual time. Many have lost hope or wonder if there is anything really worth living for.
At the beginning of the year I came across a friend鈥檚 post on Facebook. It suggested that at the beginning of a new year, grab an empty glass jar (almost like a cookie jar) and on each day write out the good things that happen to you, placing the 鈥渟ticky note type鈥� paper in the jar. This habit was to be kept up during the whole year. Then on New Year鈥檚 Day the following year, you could have the chance to re-live all the good experiences you had had throughout the year before.
It sounded like an excellent idea and I was ready to try it out. So, starting in January 2020, I began writing down on small cut out paper, anything I thought was a blessing or a good experience in my life for that particular day. I鈥檇 then date it and fold it up and put it in the glass jar for safe keeping. The month of January hadn鈥檛 yet ended and I noticed how the jar was getting full quicker than what I had anticipated. 鈥淗mm鈥�, I thought, 鈥渢his isn鈥檛 a bad little project at all鈥�.
But then as I began to get comfortable making this my somewhat daily practice I was abruptly interrupted by a global pandemic! 鈥淥h no鈥�, I thought, 鈥渟o much for sticking to my glass jar project鈥�, 鈥渕aybe I need to hold off on this and start again next year.鈥� Without giving it much thought, I automatically assumed that there would be no real good experience to record or write down and place in my jar during a global lockdown.
My hope for recording good experiences in the year 2020 seemed to fade away very quickly. Especially when the majority of all I could hear and see on the news outlets and social media platforms was negative. 鈥淢aybe this glass jar project would be better suited for 2021鈥�, I reasoned, 鈥渨hat good experiences could I write and record when I鈥檓 at home almost 24/7 in a national lockdown? 鈥� 鈥淗mmmm鈥�.
But despite having these thoughts, I still felt a nudge to keep working on my 鈥渏ar鈥� project.
As the days and months went by, I was able to write down good experiences and put them in the container. February came and went 鈥� I wrote. Then March and April 鈥� I wrote. Then May 鈥� I wrote. And to my amazement, I realized that good experiences were still making their way to me despite being locked down and unable to leave home.
It was there that I realized that even when one might find themselves in a dark place or challenging situation, if one looks for or anticipates a good experience/blessing, it somehow makes its way to them. I am reminded of this statement Jesus made. It鈥檚 found in Matthew 7: 7-8, 鈥淎sk, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.
What wakes you up in the morning? Do you wake up expecting something good to happen to you? Jesus said he came into the world so that we could have life and have it to the full. He shed His precious blood for us to have a full and abundant life no matter the times and no matter the circumstances. He sacrificed His life on the cross in exchange for us to have lives that are freed from every oppressive thing you can imagine.
To partake of this full life would you say this prayer with me? Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me of my sin. I believe that Jesus died for me and was resurrected on the third day. I declare Jesus Lord over my life. Jesus said that He came into the world so that I could have life and life to the full. I thank you for this full life. A life that is enriched with all of your purposes for me. Thank you for hearing my prayer in Jesus 鈥檔ame. Amen.
