University Blog

You Are Not Alone

Posted by Abigail Black on

Hello Church Family,

As we begin March I think back to this time last year and can’t help but laugh a little. I was hired to lead our Nursery Ministry on March 1st, 2020; and 2 weeks later a pandemic was declared here in the United States and I found myself navigating a new position during a global pandemic. To say I was overwhelmed is an understatement. I’m what some would call a “worrier,” I tend to take news and go down a bit of a rabbit hole of “what-ifs.” I know I’m probably the only one and none of you can relate but just in case you might be able to, I’d like to offer up just a smidge of knowledge I have gleaned from this complete year of unknowns. 

It doesn’t help. I know that that may seem impossible because we can spend hours, days, and months worrying about a situation and the what-ifs of circumstances but I believe that in this past year I have actually learned (at least on a deeper level than I ever understood before) that it truly doesn’t help. My grandma had a favorite old hymn that says, “Jesus on the mainline, tell him what you want.” One thing I know about my grandma is she had a mainline to Jesus; she was what one would call a prayer warrior. She had a picture in her house of these two birds, they were two little fluffy bluebirds, one was frazzled and disheveled looking, while the other was calm looking. The quote on the bottom read, “Why pray when you can worry and fret?” She pointed that thought out to me on more occasions than I care to admit throughout my teenage and adult life. She would remind me “honey, there’s no sense in worrying, just give it to Jesus.” 

So I was just beginning to navigate my new job when the world was rocked by Covid-19, which led to my husband’s furlough shortly after. I began to panic. The “what-ifs” were daunting and kept me awake many hours a night. I had a breaking point and was speaking with Pastor Holly about it when she shared with me some sage advice: you’re not alone in this. And I’d like to offer that same advice to you, because the truth is, you’re not. As we begin another year of unknowns I’ve come to realize it’s all unknown. It always has been, and we’ve never been alone before, we won’t be alone now. Deuteronomy 31:6 is a verse I’ve held dear to me since I was about eight years old, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” We’ve never been alone and one of the great joys of life is being blessed with chosen family, and I believe we here at University have been given such a gift of a beautiful, abundant chosen family. Where needs, struggles, joys and triumphs can be shared and walked through together.  

So my small piece of love I want to leave you with this week is, it’s all unknown, you’re not alone in this and as my grandma always told me, “honey, there’s no sense in worrying, just give it to Jesus.” I’ve learned he’s on the mainline for all of us. 

Blessings,
Abigail Black 
Nursery Director

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