The Should Be's

“This is not what this year was supposed to be -- it should be better.”

“This is not what college should be.” 

“This is not what the first day of middle school should be.”

“This is not what church should be.”

This is the year of the “should be’s”. We should be through the crisis. We should be [insert your view on how we are handling the pandemic]. Disappointment, cancellations, and changed plans on this scale were not on our radar, so we feel like it “should be” different. 

“The heavens announce that he’ll set everything right, And everyone will see it happen—glorious! All who serve handcrafted gods will be sorry— And they were so proud of their ragamuffin gods! On your knees, all you gods—worship him! And Zion, you listen and take heart! Daughters of Zion, sing your hearts out: GOD has done it all, has set everything right. The heavens announce that he’ll set everything right, And everyone will see it happen—glorious!”

Psalm 97:6-8 MSG

God has set everything right (Jesus created a way for our God-reconciliation) and will make everything right. Anything that seems wrong now will be made right and we can be sure of that because God made the greatest down payment of all time for this promise—Jesus. 

This is God’s business—setting things right. 

Throughout all of the challenges of this year, it’s important to keep reminding ourselves that all of the “should be’s” are our own, because everything is exactly how God knew it would be in this moment, and He is still on the throne. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t grieve, or allow ourselves to feel the disappointments, but it certainly charges us with the hopefulness found in God’s sovereignty. 

This has been so relevant to me (Camilla) in a way completely unrelated to the pandemic. My mom’s health has declined drastically over the past year. Through it all both of us felt like we should have had more time, that she shouldn’t have to suffer this terrible disease, that she should continue to be able to enjoy her grandchildren. I was planning on having many more healthy years with her, so reality should be different. 

But these are my “should be’s”. And while I grieve and am disappointed, I am reminded that God’s business is setting things right. How will an illness be set right? How will lost schooling be made right? How will lost relationships and opportunities be made right? I don’t know, but I believe God has all of eternity to make it clear. And I am certain He will.