The sun is setting and after spending the last hour rocking babies, saying prayers and rereading the same familiar bedtime stories the house is finally quiet. The kids are in bed. I drag my tired body down the stairs, collapsing into the couch while my husband reaches for the remote. Let the Netflix binging commence. Dinner clean-up can wait. It's been a long day of work and homeschool and keeping up with four kids. My body feels drained and my mind sapped, and an evening zoning out in front of the tv feels like just what I need. But do I? I know these earthly comforts will soon pass and my soul is left aching for more, but in this particular moment, comfort wins. 

Day after day, week after week all filled with the same old thing. Netflix, dinner with friends, vacations and online shopping never seem to quench the ever-present thirst of my heart. They are good and enjoyable but I long for a life of more adventure and passion, more purpose and direction. 

I’m certain I’m not the only one who has felt this way, or the only one who has wrestled with the question, “Is this all there is?” Especially after this year, I find myself craving it more. Were there moments in the past year where you felt lonely? Perhaps a little directionless? Maybe just tired of trying so hard and never feeling like it is enough? 

What if the Lord doesn’t want us to return to our regularly scheduled life as usual? What if God’s dreams for us are bigger than Netflix binging, social gatherings or even comfort?

Life will do all it can to convince us that these things are the best life has to offer. We’re told that a lucrative job, beautiful home and flourishing family life is the end goal. If we can simply get through most days with seldom hardships or difficulties then we will have what summates to a happy life. If we have money to spend, friends to meet, places to go then our lives are complete and fulfilled, right? 

“The world will offer you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” Pope Benedict XVI

We are not made simply to create a life that is comfortable. Our Good Father in all His infinite love and wisdom did NOT think to Himself, “wow this beautiful world that I have created would be a so much more wonderful place if I create Nicole so she could dwindle endless hours of her one, precious life binge-watching The Office episodes.”

While The Office is not inherently bad (it's quite entertaining) and I do still think it is fine to enjoy an episode or two with my husband after a long day, comfort is not our main motivation and purpose for living. It is not the purpose we were created for. No, I’m certain the Lord did not have that in mind when He created me and I can assure you He didn’t when He created you either.  

He had dreams for us then. He still has dreams for us now. 

Do you really believe that He has more in store for you? Something different? Something unexpected?

Historically, when the Lord shakes the earth beneath our feet there is always a lesson to be learned, even if we don’t catch on right away. The Old Testament is filled with examples of this from Noah and the flood to Moses crossing the Red Sea. It's safe to say that when our God moves in shocking unexpected ways, He is clamouring for our attention, mercifully begging us to lift our eyes and alter our course.

But what exactly is He inviting us to pay more attention to?

The answer is unfolding before us right now at this moment. 

If we aren’t careful to pause and reflect on that massive shift our world just undertook we may miss what God has in store for the next chapter of our lives.

In his book, Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future,  Pope Francis says, “The Noah story in Genesis is not just about how God offered a path out of destruction, but about all that followed. The regeneration of human society meant a return to respecting limits, curbing the reckless pursuit of wealth and power, looking out for the poor and those living on the edges. The introduction of the Sabbath and the Jubilee—moments of recovery and reparation, forgiving debts and restoring relationships—were key to that regeneration, giving time for the earth to bounce back, for the poor to find fresh hope, for people to find their souls again.”

Specifically as we come out of the global pandemic, there is a new season for each of us. It’s an opportunity to take hold of the life God has been intending for us all along. 

Of course, there are common undercurrents we can all take away from the past year regardless of our personal circumstance. But our God is a personal God who cares deeply about each unique soul He has created. He is seeking to use the trials and hardships of the past year to speak to YOU as an individual. 

Before we rush back to life, occupying each and every moment with all the pastimes we’ve so eagerly been awaiting, may I suggest we pause and take in the collective trauma we’ve all just experienced? Let's take time to pray, journal, and spend time in adoration. Let’s bring our hearts to Christ in all of their exhaustion and tenderness. 

If you find yourself struggling with where to begin, below I’ve outlined some questions that may help you get started. 

Reflection Questions Post-COVID

  • What was the hardest thing about last year? What do you feel like He was teaching you? 

  • Are there things you’re avoiding bringing to God? 

  • Are there things in your life that you let consume more time than it should? 

  • Do you believe there is more for your life? Are there areas of your heart that feel like He keeps pressing into? If so, what is the next step you can take in trusting Him? 

  • Did last year bring to light any areas you didn’t like about your life? 

  • Did last year shed light on any of your personal strengths or skills? If so, thank God for them. How can you continue to use and develop these skills to better serve those around you? 

  • What is happening in your heart right now?

  • As the world begins to open up again, is there anything you don’t feel called to return to? Maybe there are pastimes or relationships that are no longer serving you? No longer healthy for you? Maybe there are relationships you feel led to rekindle and invest more time in? 

  • What kind of life do you long for? Have you brought God into your desires and asked Him to help guide you? 

Creating space to unwind and enjoy some leisure is not a sin. Quite the opposite, leisure is inherent to God’s design and an integral part of our human nature. But it's not the end goal in life, and if we make it such we will continue to be disappointed. Our minds, hearts, and bodies are made for so much more. 

These are only a few of the countless ways the Lord may be working in your heart, but trust me He IS working. Our God will use every opportunity to gather His children closer to Him, even ones that seem less than ideal by our standards. As we begin to move into this new season of life it is important that we don’t just simply move forward blindly, returning to whatever seems familiar and comfortable. The Lord wants greatness for us in this life and the next. Let us not pass by this opportunity He has given us to grow in holiness, to grow in greatness simply because we are so eager to return to normalcy.