Let it burn God

What a time to be alive!

Majority of us entered this year with baited breath, a stinging fear of a tomorrow we had not yet met and had no control over. Many dreams have been destroyed, some are on life support and maybe one perhaps two have some sign of life, a little spark, a faint glimmer of hope. Whether we are willing to admit it or not, we all aborted something in 2020. Most of us experienced some tremendous loss that we still have not fully comprehended. In fact, after being blindsided by the pandemic, some of us put off making new year’s resolutions but decided to play it by ear, make the rules as we go and hope for the best, because fact is, we made it but by the skin of our teeth.

 About 6 weeks back, a friend of mine told me she was considering taking out a huge loan and building a home for her family, while she still had a job, while she was still alive. She is not alone. I also have come close to making life altering decisions when my aspirations seemed to die a slow painful death and despair gave me a cold long stare.  I shook with trepidation as I ruminated on what could never be, who I would never become and the places I would never get to see.  Life will squeeze you until all you can do is cry out, GOD save me! We have been fighting battle after battle, weathered storm after storm, tears seemed to flow endlessly as we faced one crisis after the other. GOD, why are you so silent? And the questions linger on as our frazzled minds try to grapple with feelings of shock, horror and uncertainty. We are living in a time where our worst nightmares have manifested in our day to day lives!

It seems the after effects of COVID-19 have been far worse than the virus itself. The enemy pulled a fast one on us this time and he sure left an indelible mark, scars that will forever serve as reminders that we once caught fire and got burnt. Some things die permanently, but some die so they can be resurrected and for the glory of GOD to be revealed through them. Despite what happened and who left along the way, may you find comfort in this verse, “For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” (Micah 3: 6). We may still be reeling from the aftershocks of all that has happened but we are still here. May this firestorm draw us even closer to GOD our refuge, the only one who can stop the fire from consuming us. We have tried all we could to quench it but maybe it’s time to lift our hands and say, let it burn GOD and rest in the assurance that it may hurt for a while, but it sure as hell won’t consume us. Sometimes the only way out of the fire is through it.

Article by Temakholo Mathebula