I am a few days late writing the last in this series. Hurricane Ian decided to pay a visit to South Carolina; my attention was required elsewhere. We are so grateful that we only suffered minimal damage. We lost a few wax myrtle trees in our backyard and some outdoor light fixtures. Our hearts are broken for our sister state to the south, Florida, and the devastation they have experienced. Loss of life, jobs, homes, and infrastructures of whole towns and villages has me shaking my head. The title for this blog has taken on an entirely new meaning. Little did I know when I began writing this series “Under Reconstruction” that many would face such catastrophic circumstances. But just like Nehemiah, God was and is an ever-present help to all of us who face a start-over. Even if it is of gigantic proportion. Though some of us face lesser challenges, the now what of life often comes around so often that we are too tired to celebrate victory over the completion and too apprehensive about the next assignment to move forward.
When I meditate on what the bible records about Nehemiah and the wall’s completion, I am inspired by his God-given practicality. Nehemiah takes the time to call all the people together to celebrate the wall’s completion. But first, God is already preparing him for the next phase. As the finished wall reflects the external protection of the city and its people, Nehemiah begins to bring internal order to the people the wall is protecting. He registers the families, organizes the support of the priests and temple, tax issues and plans, and executes the dedication service. During the whole process, Nehemiah continues to pray and gives God credit for the insight and plans he implements. It shows me that when I walk closely in fellowship with the Lord, my now what moments are already taken care of by my great God, who operates outside of time. God never has a ‘now what for Sharon?’ moment.
The 139th Psalm says in v.16, “All my days were recorded in your book before one of them came to be.” This reminds me I don’t run out of purpose even if I don’t understand the plan. All my construction days, my reconstruction days, and my demo days reveals, and all the in-between days are established by God. I believe He wants me to take the time not only to work and plan as He directs but also to celebrate the victory. Sometimes I can get so focused on the doing that I lose sight of the being. Ego and pride about accomplishing a task can edge their way in. This leads me away from testifying of God’s goodness to invite me into His work to begin with. Celebration and the role of praise can be easily minimized, but God delights in our praise and thanksgiving, a conduit He uses to fill us with joy.
In the past few years, I have had several now- what experiences. It came on the wings of retiring. It came again when Jim retired. It came when we made a move here. It recently occurred when we transitioned into a new fellowship of believers. It happens on a smaller scale every time I finish a blog or a series. But living a restful work balance with Christ allows me to anticipate the next challenge.
God speaks emphatically, “Only I know the plans I have for you, to prosper you to give you a bright future,” Jeremiah 29:11. However, not all now-what moments come at the end of a project and are not celebratory. A dismal diagnosis, a loss of financial stability, the failure of a marriage, and the death of a loved one bring the reality of what – do I do now painfully close to all of us at one time or another. Certainly, as I write this, hundreds of folks are cleaning up Ian’s rubble, where houses and places of employment stood. They are living the now-what thing, moment by moment. Only God can reconstruct this loss, but He has an army of folks; if they are praying and seeking purpose, like Nehemiah, He can use them to begin the work. Maybe the takeaway for me today is to take time and celebrate when I can, for I am not promised another chance. Perhaps as I see so many around me struggling to reconstruct and rebuild, I need to ask God how He can use me to help.
Lord, today I give thanks for how you speak to me. I thought I would be writing about joy, but instead, you remind me we can never rest on our laurels. Your work in the world is ever-present. Help me remember you used Nehemiah and a whole tribe of folks to reconstruct the wall. Whatever my role, give me the conviction every day to turn to you in my now-what moments and seek your plan. And Lord, remind me to celebrate you and your ability to reconstruct the things most broken.
Please be in prayer for those attempting to recover from Hurricane Ian. Come back next time when the 5 o’clock worker looks at overcoming the challenges of living daily in the vineyard in the new series “The Struggle.”
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