Just when I think I am done with my lockdown chronicles, another thought process linked to what is happening around the world pops up! If you have been paying close attention to the narratives making their rounds around social media, you will be familiar with this phrase—I can’t wait for things to go back to normal. People long for life as they once knew it; they want to visit their friends, head to the office, attend church services in person, travel and the to-do list is endless.
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I don’t blame them for it, I also long for some sense of normalcy to return. But the sooner we come to terms with the fact that not all things are going to return to normal, the better for us. Whenever God wants to do something new, He often shakes things up; just so He takes you to the place you are meant to be. The children of Israel experienced this—when it was time for them to head to their promised land, God had to figure out a way to get them out of Egypt, a place they had lived for over 400 years.
And as you can imagine, it was hard for them to do away with the mindset they had developed in slavery all those years. God got them out with countless signs and wonders, but it was difficult for Him to change their mindset about Egypt. They yearned for what once was; they craved the onions, garlic, and fish once given to them by their masters.
They didn’t care that God was leading them to a place, which they would finally call home, all they wanted was for things to go back to normal, but that was never the case for them. It was either they died on their way to what was new or entered what was new. Bottom line, their life was never the same.
Embracing Change
“Embracing change is key to enjoying the new.”
I’ve shared a few times about how I was removed from the United States, a place I lived for about 11 years of my adult life. Like the children of Israel, I craved going back to what I knew—what I was comfortable with, but God had other plans. Ah, how I fought His plans for my life! I thought I knew what was best for me, but I could not change what was happening. It was then up to me to either keep brooding over what I lost, or look forward to what was ahead, and I chose the latter. Once I realized that life as I knew it was changed forever, I readjusted to fit the new normal for my life.
The same feeling I felt after a breakup; my world was rocked and I had no other option than to change, so I could begin to see a different result. The men I had dated in the past added no real value to me, but just pain. Was it really all their fault? Not entirely. I had to look within and make the changes, to be in a healthy relationship going forward. If that storm didn’t happen, I would have kept making the same mistakes, circling the same mountain for years on end. But God said enough is enough, it’s time for something new, it’s time to embrace change.
As humans, sometimes it is difficult for us to embrace change, we are more comfortable in what we know, and we let fear keep us from all the excitement. God is not found in stagnation; God is always moving and wants us to catch up with what He wants to do.
A New Normal
Isaiah 43:18-19 says–“But forget all that, it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new.” When God is about to do something new, He often does away with the old, because for you to enter new territories, old mindsets have to be done away with. Rather than crying over spilled milk, let us look forward in excitement for the things that are to come. Paul in Philippians 3 puts it this way—“but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”
Will certain things go back to normal? Yes, they will, but not all things, some things will change, some things have to change for us to go to that next level. Many of us prayed for many things, and some of the answers to our prayers are playing out right before our eyes, pay attention. Don’t be on the bandwagon which says 2020 has been canceled, or take us back to 2019, or let’s fast forward to 2021. 2020 is very intentional, if you fix your focus, you will see what God is doing.
What do you guys think? How has this lockdown/pandemic shifted your mindset? Leave your comments below or share your thoughts with me by emailing us on info@letstalknationblog.com.
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About The Author: Evi Idoghor is a Christian, writer, and content creator on Letstalknationblog.com. She is a chemical engineering graduate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Consumed by her love for writing and desire to effect change, she launched her online platform––Let’s Talk Nation––to tap into her creativity and start meaningful conversations that would make a difference around the world.
Most of her writing has been influenced by her time spent in America, where she lived for about 11 years. Also, she lived in Nigeria and South Korea and currently loves traveling the world while learning about other fascinating cultures. You can find her on all social media platforms with @eviidoghor.