A Norvell Note 2020
Vol. 22 No. 19 | May 11, 2020
What is something that you have enjoyed about the quarantine that has surprised you?
I haven’t been surprised that the stay at home restrictions have allowed me to spend more time with my wife, accomplish more tasks around the house, reconnect with old friends, rearrange my study two or three times, and spend less time in my car.
But I have been surprised to find myself walking down the middle of the street.
Concrete sidewalks are hard on my ankles and knees, so I’ve always preferred walking and jogging on the asphalt. But dodging traffic can be tricky, not to mention dangerous.
But not now. Even at peak traffic hours, our neighborhood is so quiet, I find myself strolling right down the middle of the street, lost in the music flowing through my EarPods. It’s perfect, really- so much space, no curbs to negotiate, and I’m always at least six feet away from everybody else.
On a recent stroll, I started thinking about other welcomed surprises that have come out of a tough season or hard chapter.
When I was eleven, I could think of nothing worse than my mother dying. But through the years, God has blessed me with numerous substitute mothers to fill in some of the empty space.
When I got the chickenpox as an adult in a small Ukrainian village and felt like I was going to die, I thought life couldn’t get much worse. But I made it through in one piece and it gave me a great story to share over the years.
When I had to have major oral surgery in my late forties, I thought it was the worst thing that could happen. Instead, my surgeon became a good friend and I had the privilege of officiating his wedding that same year.
When our church teams would grow frustrated with the business side of ministry, wondering what the point of it all was, God would always send us new people and ways to serve that refreshed our souls and restored our faith.
As I thought about all the good that has come out of unfortunate situations in my life, I was reminded of this verse:
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
In the morning I lay my requests before you
And wait expectantly. (Psalm 5:3, NIV)
As we now learn to live with whatever awaits us, may we also wait expectantly for God’s surprises. You might even find yourself being one of those surprises in the life of another.
And by the way, I only condone walking in the middle of the street when they are deserted. And please, if by chance a vehicle does approach, please move to the side of the street.
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2020 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved