Picture a magician using an ant or a penguin instead of a bunny for his trick? Penguins love to huddle. And ants? Have you tried getting rid of their continuous social line? Bunnies on the other hand though sociable animals take time to interact. They need to be introduced to others slowly. They can sit in the magician’s bag quietly. I doubt you’ll find an ant or a penguin that would do that. That ant or penguin would be me. What about you? Are you more the likes of a docile bunny or are you the social ant?
I am a people-person.
I didn’t have to take a personality test to know something obvious to me. I love being with family and friends. I love company. Put me in a roomful of strangers and I guarantee you, I will come out with the potential of having an acquaintance become a friend. No bragging. I am not necessarily a person who loves to party or party-hop, I just gain a lot of pleasure from being with people.
My husband jokes around with me about us taking two separate cars to church because it takes me at least thirty minutes to get out of the service. No apologies necessary, but there is always something to talk about with my friends and family. There’s always a catching up to do.
Let me illustrate this further. Besides being a full-time elementary school teacher, I am a small business owner of two different businesses. One where I put together flower arranging workshops and the other, I do in-home cooking parties to sell kitchen gadgets. See the theme?
Being a teacher, I am used to having solitary times for as long as two months in the summer. I keep myself busy and am never bored but I have to get out and visit with friends or go out into the world just to see other people.
So can you imagine when all of a sudden, like a bunny waiting for the magician to pull me out of his bag, I had to shelter-in-place?
When our church decided to close our facilities and hold online services, I had ambivalent feelings. For me, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with others while worshipping the LORD creates an inexplicable, special, spiritual bond.
Though thankful for technology and our ability to live stream church services, I’d prefer being there in person. I’d rather be talking and spending time doing life with others. Yes, quality time is one of my love languages.
This could be the enemy’s tactic to isolate us, divide, and conquer was the immediate thought I had. He tries to do that. He creates divisions even among brothers and sisters. It’s the oldest tactic in the book abusers use to keep themselves from being caught and to keep their victims submissive to them.
I wasn’t sure I was convinced about all of us staying away from each other.
Then God led me to Luke 5:1-3. Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennasaret amid the crowd listening to God’s Word. He saw two boats, got into Simon’s boat, and asked him to take Him a little ways from the shore. Jesus sat and taught them from the boat. Though He seemed distanced from them, He wasn’t. He had a good view of them.
God has a good view of all of us, too. Whether we are physically together or restricted in the solitude of our homes, God’s Word cannot be stopped. His work will not be curtailed.
Paul wrote a letter to the Philippians when he was in prison. Yet, prison did not stop the Gospel from being shared, in fact, because of Paul’s ordeal, it spurred the Philippians to continue with their work.
No one was able to stop the stone from being rolled away two thousand years ago. No one was able to stop our Savior from rising from the dead. He is risen today. He lives and we have hope!
God’s Word cannot be confined. God’s work cannot be derailed.
We can have confidence that God continues to do His work in our lives. Whether we are worshipping in church with everyone else or we are in the solitude of our homes, the Gospel of Jesus Christ will reach wherever, whenever.
“So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 (ESV)