Wanting What We Can't Have

We want what we can’t have. It's a normal part of being human.  Tell a teenage girl she can't date a certain guy and he will become her obsession. Start a low carb diet and all we want is carbs. 

  

  During this pandemic I’ve observed "wanting what we can't have" behavior, including from me.  I am home most of the time during “normal” times because I work from home. Enter the pandemic. We are told to social distance and stay at home and now all I can think about is getting out of here!  I want what I can’t have. 

I've even observed this in regards to going to church. I've thought a few times I sure would enjoy being able to have church in bed, not having to worry about what I wore, putting on makeup, or doing my hair. I sure got my wish.  During this pandemic churches have closed their doors to congregational gatherings in an effort to prevent spreading the Covid19 virus. Many of the churches who were rebellious and gathered anyway have found themselves suffering from the virus in large percentages of their congregation. 

Because of these restrictions many churches have used the internet for sharing worship and sermons to their congregations.  I’ve even heard of having “parking lot church.” In this method, people drive to the church parking lot, stay in their car, but roll the window down so they can listen to the speaker via a microphone, pray together, and lift up praises to God. All this happens well within the social distancing guidelines.  

I spoke with my Daddy about his experience with these types of gatherings. He is in his late seventies and enjoys church services, especially the fellowship of normal times of worship.  My Daddy misses the human contact.  He said someone even called him to see if he and my mother had been at the most recent parking lot service because its is hard to know who is there and who is not when you can’t actually see anyone except the folks parked on each side of your car.  We took our services together in a church building for granted and can’t wait to get there and worship in the ways we are most accustomed.  Again, we want what we can’t have.  

Although Satan may have laughed at all the churches closing their doors, the joke is on him. We’ve opened the doors of our homes to worship all across the world.  The planet's houses of worship have multiplied by massive numbers. 

God uses harsh moments to soften and mold our complacent souls.  This, my friends, is a harsh moment.  God has met us in the trial and promises to stay here throughout the entire crisis. He gives us what we need, not what we want. Even in this crisis, there are always reasons to be grateful.  As we seek to get back to normal, whatever that might be, might we consider what parts of normal are worth keeping instead of wanting what we can't have.