A Norvell Note

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

Vol. 22 No. 18 | May 4, 2020

Max Lucado shares the epic tale of Joseph’s life story, including his long journey of betrayal, rejection by his family, and years of waiting and isolation, reminding us,  “While we are waiting (resting in God’s care), God is working.”

A timely statement, isn’t it? While we are waiting, God is working.

We are waiting, wondering how long we will be waiting. We are waiting for things to get to whatever the next normal is going to be; to see our family and friends in person; to see if opening up the country is the right thing to do. We are waiting to find out what eating out, shopping, or going to the grocery store will be like. We are waiting to see how many more people are going to die.

We are waiting, and while we are waiting, God is working. We may not know exactly what He is doing or what the outcome of all this will be, but we know He is working. 

We can take comfort in the fact that God is working for our good. He always does. God is good, all the time, and He is working for our good. 

The suffering may continue for a while, the questions may go unanswered for a while, and the waiting will probably continue for a while, but be comforted knowing that God is working for our good all the time, and we will be taken care of. 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

                                                                              (Romans 8:28-29, NIV)

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2020 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

Vol. 22 No. 17 | April 27, 2020

So Weak and Helpless

When I sat down to write this week, I realized that I have run out of new words. So, I’m pulling out a piece I wrote many years ago, cut a few paragraphs and added a couple of new ones.

[Written: September 8, 2003, Published in Until Hope Returns, June 2018]
         “Lord, I feel so weak and helpless!” That is the honest cry of the struggling servant. That is the honest cry of one who tries to serve the Creator of the universe but wonders if he has the strength to continue. That is the heart cry of mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. That is the heart cry of the husbands and wives. That is the pleading of the disciple who wants more than anything to faithfully follow God, but who is growing weary, confused, and wondering if he has what it takes to overcome to the end. 
         “Lord, I feel so weak and helpless!” says the father as he watches his son makes one more decision that will lead him farther from home. He has prayed constantly since before the boy was born that he would be a good father. That he would have wisdom. That he would be able to guide this son as God would have him to. Now, he’s wondering what he did wrong. 
         “Lord, I feel so weak and helpless!” says the man who is struggling to keep his business going. He has integrity. He believes in doing what is right, but the “good guy” seems to be coming in last. He is not sure how much longer he can hold on.
         “Lord, I feel so weak and helpless!” says the single mom who must be mom, dad, friend, disciplinarian, and spiritual leader for the children she has been left to care for. She’s committed to bringing them to church regularly, but even that has become a battleground. 
         “Lord, I feel so weak and helpless!”

[Written: April 2020]

“Lord, I feel so weak and helpless!” says the ones who have lost their jobs and wonder how they are going to pay their rent. Those are the words of the schoolteacher who is preparing online classes for her students as well as helping her own children do their schoolwork and missing out on joys of being at home with her children. That is the confession of those of us who have been staying home to be healthy and to protect others, working from home but constantly feeling the need to do more.

 “Lord, I feel so weak and helpless!” says the medical workers who are and committed to being there with their patients, so they don’t die alone. Says the patient who is confused and dying, afraid and unsure why this is happening, and unable to communicate with his family. And that is the cry of the family members who cannot be with him, hold his hand, and tell him his is loved as he takes his last breath.

“Lord, I feel so weak and helpless!”
         God hears the cries. 
         He responds. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
         To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (1 Corinthians 12:7-10, NIV).
         “Lord, I feel so weak and helpless!” His grace is sufficient.

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2020 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

A Norvell Note 2020

Vol. 22 No. 16 | April 20, 2020

Reminders from God

I have always tried to see the messages and lessons God is trying to teach me whenever I go through difficult times. Here are some of the latest:

I am well aware of everything that is going on, so you don’t need to be concerned about not being in control. 

God knows I need to be reminded of this often, and He does. Now, it’s on a daily basis. He is reminding me that I’m in His hands and His hands are strong and gentle. He is reminding me that since I’m not in control, I can relax knowing that He is capable and trustworthy.

I am well aware of your needs, your fears, your sadness, and you can be sure that I will continue to bless you.

He is blessing me with rest. He is blessing me with opportunities to connect and reconnect with friends and family, even if from a distance. He is blessing me with calmness. He is blessing me with a good job. He is blessing me with tools to communicate, words to read and share, and time for reflection. He is blessing me in ways I never expected. 

I am well aware of how you grieve for all My children who are dying, and I want you to know they are not alone.

He is with those who are suffering. He might be dressed as a doctor or first responder, but He is there.He is reminding me that it’s perfectly fine to grieve for them. But I have to keep looking forward and helping those He is placing in my path who are still living. 

He is reminding me of my purpose.  

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2020 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

Vol. 22 No. 15 | April 13, 2020

Give Me Something To Do

Millions of people, more than we could have fathomed a few weeks ago, are now unemployed due to COVID-19. And even those who are fortunate enough to be employed, are often at a loss for what to do. 

One afternoon, when I slipped (or fell headlong) into a particularly deep abyss of helplessness, my favorite line from Sense and Sensibility came to me. It’s during the scene when Marianne falls extremely ill. Her suitor, Colonel Brandon, paces the halls, desperate for something to do to try to help her, and pleads, “Give me an occupation, Miss Dashwood, or I shall run mad.” 

You may be feeling something similar. Give me an occupation so I can support my family. Give me something I can do to help the frontline workers. Give me something I can do to make life better for people who are struggling…

Earlier that same day I was reading the Jesus story from Luke 4.

When Jesus stood up to read the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

    because he has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

    and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:17-19, NIV) 

I can’t touch a blind person’s eyes and make him see. I do not have the means to feed all the hungry people in my community. And I don’t have the power to go into a hospice patient’s room and heal them. 

But I do have the capacity to listen to my wife, friends, and co-workers when they need to share their fears and concerns. I can share the good things I see and hear with people who might need their spirits lifted. I can listen to what the Spirit is saying and maybe calling me to do. And I can proclaim there is freedom in Christ, and even in these difficult times, God is with us and His favor is on us. 

I hope you will be gentle on yourself and others this week. And remember, you can’t do everything, but you can do something, and you can do it with love, compassion, and kindness.  

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2020 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

A Norvell Note 2020

Vol. 22 No. 14 | April 6, 2020

What We Can When We Can

Not long before Jesus is put on trial and crucified, He is invited to a friend’s for dinner. During the meal, a woman comes into the room, opens a bottle of expensive perfume, and begins to pour it on His head. As described in The Message:

Some of the guests became furious among themselves. ‘That’s criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year’s wages and handed out to the poor.’ They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her.

Jesus defends her, saying, “She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial” (Mark 14:8, NIV). Or as stated in The Message, “She did what she could when she could…” 

There is much we could discuss about this passage, especially during this season. But I want to focus on the underlying message in these words: “She did what she could when she could.” 

The man who puts on a mask and gloves and goes to the grocery store to get what his family needs for the week; and the man who checks in on his elderly neighbor to make sure she has what she needs…is doing what he can when he can. 

The woman who kisses her family goodbye and heads to the hospital to help care for the  sick; and the woman who sits down at her sewing machine to make masks for her friends and neighbors…is doing what she can when she can.

The men and women who load up their vans with packages and make their daily rounds; and the people who share their gifts, positive words, and guidance with others who might need them…are doing what they can when they can. 

All of us who are staying at home, and when we must go out, taking precautions to keep ourselves and those around us safe; all of us who are treating others with kindness, patience, and respect and doing our best to spread positivity…are doing the best we can when we can. 

The anxiety and frustration created by our inability to do and help more is likely to continue over the next few weeks. But we can only do what we can when we can. 

Let’s focus on that, and that will be enough.

“And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly.” (9)

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2020 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

Vol. 22 No. 13 | March 30, 2020

Finding myself with a little more time on my hands this week, I started listing things that didn’t seem to matter as much as they did a few days ago. 

• Email offers for discounted golf balls
• Airlines offering great travel deals 
• Ads like, “Be secluded in the perfect vacation hideaway.”
• Road sign: Guardrail damage ahead. (Not Covid-related, but I’ve never understood why we need to know this information.)
• Shaving and the need for a haircut
• Church leaders who are still pondering: “To Cancel or Not to Cancel: That Is the Question.”
• Opinions – mine and yours
• Arguing
• My ego
• Yesterday
• Tomorrow

Then I started listing what matters most and always has.

• Relationships – family and genuine friendships 
• Good healthcare
• Men and women who have the courage and compassion to use their skills to take care of others
• Birds – flying, singing, and just being birds
• Words- those that I use to bring joy and encouragement to others, and those that bring joy and encouragement to me
• Living in this moment
• Being quiet and still
• Music
• The ability to walk
• A nice breeze
• Good neighbors
• God’s constant and abiding presence

These are just simple lists to keep track of the way I’m adjusting my thinking to stay mentally and spiritually healthy during a time of uncertainty and dramatic change. 

In a way, these lists are simply counting my blessings. But they are also helping to calm my soul and remind me of what is really important and what isn’t. 

May I encourage you to do the same. Start with your family, friends, faith and God’s faithfulness. Pay attention to the world around you. Clear your head and listen to your thoughts, listen to your heart. Pause. Reflect on what matters.

Then, when you finish making your list, sing these words:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2020 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

A Norvell Note 2020

Vol. 22 No. 12 | March 23, 2020

Even in the Valley

Words are plentiful right now. We are hearing words about disease and distress; bitterness and blame; and thankfully, humor and hope. Words are plentiful, yet here I sit, searching for the right ones to comfort, encourage, and bring you hope.  

As I search, I remember these words: 

Even though I walk 

…the valley of the shadow of death…

through the darkest valley

I will fear no evil,

    for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

    they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

So with  these words in mind, I pray:

Father, we are in the darkest of valleys, darker than most of us have ever walked through. We confess that we are sometimes afraid, confused, sad, and lonely. And it is sometimes difficult to hear Your words above all the others coming from fear, anger, frustration. 

So, Father, we ask You to remind us in very real ways that You are our Shepherd, and as our Shepherd, we are protected and safe. Give us words that comfort, and help us share those words so others can find comfort. Remind us that, even in the dark valleys, we are not alone. And remind us of other dark valleys through which we have walked safely with You before. 

Father, thank You for Your words of comfort, for being our Shepherd, and for walking beside us, even in the valley, as we make our way to the other side. 

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2020 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

A Norvell Note 2020

Vol. 22 No. 11 | March 16, 2020

A Different Norm

This weekend, I would normally be settling in to watch a full day of college basketball, which would normally be followed by three weeks of March Madness. I might occasionally switch channels to the final rounds of the Players Championship in anticipation of the upcoming  Master’s Tournament and I would not be watching the news and press conferences.

Normally, I would have had my hair cut this morning. I wouldn’t be worried about touching my face or making sure I wash or sanitize my hands after touching every foreign object. And I would not have the phrase “social distancing” as part of my vocabulary. And normally, our communities wouldn’t be clearing the shelves of toilet paper and taking such drastic measures to isolate and protect ourselves.

 I know we’re all feeling frustrated and anxious, and struggling to remain calm in the midst of all the chaos and fear. So here are a couple of suggestions from a fellow struggler with the hope that they will provide some comfort in these unsettling times. 

Be informed, but don’t allow fear to consume you.

Take a break from the news and do something that relaxes or brings you joy. You can stay informed by checking one trustworthy news source. But obsessively listening to the fear-based theories and stories will only create more fear. At this point, less is more

Be cautious, but don’t disconnect. 

Practice social distancing and solitude when necessary, but stay in touch with your friends and family. We are blessed to have the technology to call, text, email, and video chat with the people we care about. And since everything seems to be shutting down, you might even have time to write a real handwritten letter.

Be calm and enjoy the downtime. 

You can spend the extra time you have at home doing things that uplift and relax you. Watch a movie, read a book, take a walk, or listen to music. And although many churches are canceling public gatherings, you can still find their sermons streaming online. 

One of the most positive things I’ve heard that I keep coming back to is this: We are in this together, we will get through this, and God is enough. And we will. By coming together, even if physically separated, and by leaning on God for guidance and comfort, we will get through this. 

“I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)

So please, be informed, be cautious, and be calm. And remember He has you and the whole world in His hands (sanitized and germ-free)

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2020 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

A Norvell Note 2020 

Vol. 22 No. 10 | March 9, 2020

A Prayer for Tennessee

Father, You are the only One who can truly understand the tremendous amount of pain and suffering the people of Tennessee are experiencing-within seconds, homes were leveled, lives were lost, and families were forever changed. 

I lift them up to You, Lord, asking You to provide for their needs. 

Countless people no longer have a place to sleep, a vehicle to drive, water to drink, clothes to wear, or food to eat.

Many more need help dealing with trauma and new fears they might not even be able to name, including those who weren’t directly impacted.

And almost everyone knows someone who needs comforting and time to grieve the deaths of their children, parents, relatives, and friends.  

Help them to know how they might help others. 

Whether we acknowledge it or not, regardless of our circumstances, every single one of us needs and deserves the healing love of Your presence. 

I lift them up to You, Lord, asking You to provide for their needs. 

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2020 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

Another way to help: One Generation Away