Just as I was about to enter my current role in shepherding Women’s Ministry, we had a summer night of worship. That night as we sang, “I will put my trust in you alone and I will not be shaken,” the room began to literally shake as we experienced an earthquake together. I will never forget that moment! It was a marker of the powerful presence of God in our midst, despite our shakey circumstances and the chaos of this earth.

A couple of weeks ago, we joined together for another night of worship, but under very different circumstances. Although this time we faced more of a cultural and emotional earthquake in the Coronavirus, we sang the same song and declared our trust in the same good God whose love never fails us. It felt a bit bizarre to sing songs and pray over a computer screen, but it was undeniably real. It felt like the right thing at the right time. As I looked onto my screen and into the eyes of those strong and faithful women, my faith increased and my spirit grew stronger. Knowing that others had felt the same ache to be in person, but pushed through that feeling to show up online gave me the courage to face another day in isolation and has encouraged me since.

Each day in quarantine brings new ‘earthquakes’ in our midst: the questions about how long it will last, the varied sense of the severity and the shakiness we feel. Yet, each day brings with it new opportunities to grow, new places to sacrifice our flesh and lean into the Spirit, new moments to worship our Creator and place ourselves at his feet in submission.

Tonight, we will gather again to find the hope and victory we can have in Jesus. We would love to worship with you!

Katie Smylie