While January still had her newborn smell about her I listened to hear for the word that the Lord would give me for the year 2020. Some years He had skipped and simply rolled the word from the last year over into the next, expanding and cementing its revelation. I somehow knew this year would hold a new word. I waited. Then it came.
Have you ever playfully read the slip inside a fortune cookie while your Chinese food sought to settle and wished deeply you could exchange it with a friend before they noticed … chancing on a more hopeful token of whimsical encouragement? I have.
Others vulnerably shared their words for the year in my little circle of women, then I shyly and curiously revealed mine.
“God gave me the word ‘Meanwhile’…”
MEANWHILE!?!?!?!
Like a note played out of tune the word just hung there awkwardly amongst us.
What kind of a word is that?
I held it, pondered it and tried to get used to allowing it in my space. I will confess that it carried a lot of questions with it.
“Meanwhile” what God?
“Hey Susan, your plans for your life are going to be put on hold, so meanwhile you can…..”.
In the year that I had prayed would hold long awaited breakthrough and momentum meanwhile felt a detour and very unhelpful. In the past I had loved the words the Lord had given me. I had them inscribed on keys that I wore on chains around my neck and even toyed with the idea of tattooing them on my arms. Why had God invited “meanwhile” to the gathering, it felt like a grumpy, threatening relative at a family dinner. It would have to be “side-eyed” suspiciously for a bit for sure.
We stepped powerfully into January. We flew to the Middle East as planned and saw ministry begin to unfold beautifully. '“Meanwhile” would have to find a seat somewhere near the back, we had so much to DO!
As we began our return journey to the U.S the world began to rumble with the news of some strange virus trickling out of some far away place. Like a tsunami what began as an “unusual flu from somewhere in Asia” suddenly vacated the Vatican, locked up Wall Street and closed up borders, economies, front doors and churches. The deadliest threat our world had faced in our time came via the life source of all things living… “contact”…and the more friendly or intimate the more dangerous. Everything flipped.
“God”, I whispered “it seems everything has stopped, income and output, it’s frozen”
He leaned close and cupped my face in His presence and spoke into the “eyes of my ears”.
“Susan, this is your meanwhile”.
The world can lock everything up, but heaven is OPEN for business. No mask, no gloves, no distance. Come as you are. Come coughing, come feverish, come weak and scared and poor. Just come. The door is open wide, there is a seat, a fire burning and living water in a cup.
Come. Come meet “Meanwhile”.
Meanwhile (According to Websters)
during the intervening time.
The world is spinning recovery proposals large and fast as we tentatively emerge from our bunkers and assess.
Meanwhile the table is set inside His presence, where He prepares a table in the presence of your enemies. Do you see your enemies there? Fear, worry and uncertainty to name just a few…they fall speechless as we step into Jesus’s invitation to us to come INTO HIS PRESENCE.
John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”.
Do you see where Meanwhile fits in that verse?
Susan’s interpretation for this season…
“Covid and its designer come only to steal and kill and destroy in every way. MEANWHILE, Jesus comes and offers all of us life, not just survival, but HIS presence with us in this world, and our presence with Him in His.”
That awkward word now feels like a prophetic gift.
Maybe I will get that tattoo.