GIve Thanks Anyway

April 8, 2020

Today, Passover begins, the celebration of God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The Bible says they groaned under the taskmasters, but it took ten plagues before Pharaoh “drove them out.” He didn’t just let them go; he forced them to leave. And once on the way, they repeatedly complained that what they were experiencing isn’t what they had bargained for. It was somewhat like the woman talking to her marriage counselor. He said to her, “You said you’d take him for better or worse.” Her response? “Yeah, but he was worse than I took him for.” The phrase the Bible uses for their longing to go back to Egypt was, “We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;” —Numbers 11:5 NKJV

It’s always easier to remember what we are giving up than to imagine what we are moving toward. The future, no matter how rosy it is painted, is always somewhat unknown. It may be all we hope for, but then again, it may not. And even if the life we have known is not the greatest, at least we know it. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about post-COVID life. We know it will be different, but we don’t know how. And already, I find myself longing for the “cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.” I miss being able to visit my mother, going out for dinner with my wife, stopping by Walmart or some other store when I need to pick something up. I imagine I’ll be OK with a different future, but what if that future continues the same new reality we’re experiencing now? 

It depends on what we look for in that reality. The last three days, I’ve been down with the flu. I don’t think it was COVID, but haven’t been tested. But the numbers of people who have prayed for me, called, texted, or messaged me has been overwhelming. We are being more creative and intentional about relationships, not taking for granted people we might otherwise have overlooked. Our children have been doing whatever essential shopping we need, and I’m seeing families spending time together in ways they haven’t done before. Social media is coming into its own. Some will always use it to complain and criticize, but I’ve seen much more where people are genuinely concerned for others. When I was growing up, my pastor had a sign on his desk: “GIve Thanks Anyway.” That’s what I choose to do tonight.