for those longing for life to return to normal

A prayer for those longing for life to return to normal

The streets lie empty;

our cities appear deserted,
and our church buildings are shuttered.
But You see our silent tears.

You weep alongside us as we long for normalcy
and freedom from this palpable fear and anxiety.
Jesus, be near to us.

This virus does not discriminate

between young or old, healthy or sick.
But we take comfort that Your love and peace

does not either,
and that You will be close to anyone

who calls upon Your name.
Jesus, be near to us.

The walls of our homes feel constricting as

day after weary day goes by.

Our eyes grow dim and dull with

too much screen time, too much news,

too much everything.
But we close our eyes, now, and invite You in again:
Jesus, be near to us.

Come, Lord Jesus – be near to us.

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This is my third weekend (and counting) of mostly staying home, apart from going on short walks or grocery runs. But boy, does it feel like forever. While the husband has been pretty content so far, I was going stir-crazy after five straight days of being home-bound.

That is not to say that I take staying home lightly. Far from it; I think all of us have a part to play in preventing the further spread of the COVID-19 virus. Even though this part feels rather insignificant, I know that it is still important in the grand scheme of things.

Some folks also seem to enjoy a lot more free time now that they’re staying home. That’s not quite the case on my end - school is still ongoing (albeit online). I’ve got a fair bit of weekly reading, researching and writing to accomplish, and exams are in a few weeks’ time. I sorely miss attending lectures in school and chatting with people in the atrium, but I’m still glad for the opportunity to continue learning and growing.

In most ways, my life is continuing as per normal – school, cooking, household chores – when it feels anything but.

Reading the news definitely gets to me. A lot. Especially when I read about people passing away because of the virus, which just seems so senseless and sad and awful. Not being able to meet regularly or properly with friends also gets to me… especially when good friends leave for home and all you can do is wave goodbye.

I reckon that I’ve been grieving for quite a while now, though it’s taken me some time to put a name to it. And maybe, just maybe, some of you reading this might be in the same boat (or will be soon when your country puts stricter measures in place).

I hope that this short prayer I wrote above helps to give voice to your grief in a small yet tangible way, and serves as a reminder that this will not last forever.

Someday, soon, our streets will once again be thronging with people; our cities humming and buzzing with activity; and our church buildings filled with a thousand different voices joined together in worship.

Someday, soon, we will get to hug our loved ones, hang out with friends, and enjoy the great outdoors again.

Normal will come back, slowly but surely. And I have a hunch that we will cherish it deeply.

xx,
iz

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