And just like that, April is all but gone, and May is knocking on the door.
Not that I'm sad to say good-bye to April. I think all of us healthcare workers are eager to turn the page to May this year in the hopes that maybe things will start to return to normal.
But we can't deny that God has used the past month to continue to grow and shape us--both individually and corporately.
Isn't it just like God to use the hard things in life to grow us into people who can more clearly reflect His image? It's not fun, and it's certainly nothing that we would ever choose, but it is something that God has been and will continue to be using for His glory.
When I recently reread the account in Acts 3 about Peter and John healing the lame man, I was struck by the knowledge that God uses everything--even the seemingly bad things for His glory. The man was born lame--he didn't do something reckless to become that way, and I'm sure he often wondered why God had allowed it. It was a painful and frustrating thing for him.
This awesome miracle was performed not because the man somehow deserved to be healed. It wasn't even performed so that people could marvel at the power of Peter and John. It was performed for the glory of God. The lame man knew this and leapt into the temple, praising God. Peter and John knew this, and made sure that they received none of the glory.
Our hard things, our loss of a loved one, our loneliness in quarantine, our frustration at other people's response to the pandemic--none of this has to be a bad thing. A hard thing, yes. But not a bad thing. Because we serve a God who brings forth good out of bad, who grows strength from difficult times.