More From Monica A. Andermann

In today’s devotion, I wrote about getting stuck in the past. True story—as I’m writing this now, I’m listening to a collection of hits from the year I was born. I suppose I will always enjoy some degree of nostalgia, and that’s OK. Appreciating the past is a good thing. After all, God provides the experiences that prompt our happy memories.

However, getting stuck in the past is a different story, and that’s where I felt I was headed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I yearned for the pre-pandemic freedoms that I so easily took for granted, as I imagine many others did too. Gone were Friday night restaurant dinners and Saturday afternoon matinees. On hold was Sunday morning worship and fellowship and visits with friends and family. And for a while, gone were store shelves stocked high with supplies like paper goods and cleaning products.

For many people, this has been a time of immeasurable stress and heartache. Our frontline and essential workers were stretched beyond limits, many folks lost their stream of income, and students missed out on extracurricular activities such as sporting events, prom, and commencement exercises. Most tragically, though, too many people suffered through illness and loss due to this rampant virus. Under such circumstances, who wouldn’t long for the good old days?

However, early in this “adventure” I had to decide not to pine for the past but instead to make the best of the present and pray for a better future. Now, fifteen months into our new normal, I can see how this decision shaped my experience in a way that allowed good memories to form even amid these uncertain times. For example, I delighted in the creative ways I saw my neighbors honor their loved ones’ special occasions with everything from boldly decorated lawns to loud, horn-honking car caravans. In my own home, special moments were created when my husband joined me in a home-office setup. Together we turned our dining room into a shared workspace and as a result, we were able to support each other throughout our workday in a way that was not possible before. Without a commute, we had more time for ourselves. This was a great stress buster, and I while I previously had to be begged into the kitchen after a long day, I found myself enjoying the creation of new dinner recipes. On weekends, we frequently relaxed by binge-watching movies, complete with air-popped popcorn that we made fresh in an almost-forgotten, old-fashioned popcorn maker. And on nights when I yearned for some alone time, I took out my paints—which I hadn’t used in a while—and created artwork that now brightens my home. Mundane delights perhaps, but isn’t it in the everyday moments that we often find the best memories? Because God is present in the exciting and mundane alike.

Yes, even in the most chaotic times, God was there. God was in the strength of the frontline workers, the generosity of those who donated to others in need, the creative hearts of those who found ways to continue celebrating, the words of those who prayed, and God was beside those affected by illness and loss. While we may never understand why such trials and struggles have occurred, we can remember that God was there. God is always there. And that, perhaps, is the best memory of all.

The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. —Zephaniah 3:17-18 (NRSV)