Pace with Me
“Don’t panic! Pace with Me, instead. One day at a time. As you do, you will discover My perspective."
Do you remember what happened in March 2020? We all watched, didn’t we, and participated in mass panic as Covid-19 entered our everyday lives. It’s mind-blowing to recall those days when things like toilet paper, anti-bacterial cleaning products, spaghetti sauce, and milk frantically disappeared from grocery store shelves overnight.
To say that the world gave into mass panic is probably a gross understatement.
Panic, like fear, grips us with such a fierce stranglehold that it often alters the way we think, act, and feel. When it seeps in, it ends up contaminating much of our lives. Destabilizing the ground upon which we build our lives.
As many of you know, last September 2022, I married an incredible British man, Justin, and moved to England. What we didn’t know when we married is that my move to England to live with him wasn’t permanent. It turned out, I would have to leave my husband and return to the US in order to apply for my visa to live with him permanently. To say that panic seized me is an understatement. What I felt was a tidal wave of emotion.
I kept asking,
“Why do I have to leave?”
“Why is this the pathway to living with my husband?”
“What about my future?”
“What about our future?”
As we considered our path forward, we sought God. Almost immediately, my husband heard God say:
“Don’t panic! Pace with Me, instead. One day at a time. As you do, you will discover My perspective."
I have to say, this was much easier said than done. But nonetheless, we were determined to heed His voice.
As you might imagine, in this stressful, uncertain situation, we had ample opportunity to help each other. Most days, we had no idea what to do. So, each day, we prayed together. Intentionally. Offering our need to God. Telling Him what we thought and how we were feeling. Asking Him for guidance and help.
You see, many people think having faith in God means we won’t have trouble. This is a delusion. It’s not about living trouble-free. Being a person of faith means the minute we encounter trouble, we express our need to God. Faith in God is relational. Daily. Invitational.
Throughout the visa process, we knew God was inviting us to trust Him. We knew He wanted us to seek Him. To pace with Him. In His way. Seeing His perspective.
I’d love to say that after seven months and thousands of dollars later, this experience perfected my trust in God. Hardly! But, you know what? That’s not the point.
The point is: I will never out-need my need for God.
In hindsight, as I reflect back now, I think one of the things it’s done is to help me slow down in my thoughts before I give into panic. To remember. To keep in mind God’s invitation to pace with Him so that whatever situation jumps in front of me, I can gain His perspective.
Reflective Response:
Read Psalm 34 in The Message translation. Pick out a verse or several verses that tell of God’s presence with you in trouble.
Can you identify a place in your life — maybe it’s a relationship, a work situation, or something going on in your personal life — where you continually feel panic rising up within you?
Can you imagine seeking God every day to express your need to Him?
Can you imagine joining His invitation to pace with Him instead of succumbing to panic?
