“Nothing of value has changed,” he said leaning over our daughter. His young face was earnest and sincere. His blue eyes searched to connect with hers, foggy and distant.
Day after day another ability vaporized into thin air. She couldn’t walk. She couldn’t move her arms. Her words slurred. All of her body parts conspired against each other, until our daughter could move only her eyes. A brain stem lesion invaded every mundane taken for granted piece of her.
But her young husband recognized the value of a life owned and held by the Savior. He realized all that mattered still did, that a redeemed life, bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ was held securely in the hands of a loving Father.
He straightened, rubbed his sore back and raised his eyes. Across her white sheeted hill he looked to where I sat on a hospital stuffed chair which would be my bed for the night.
“I’d appreciate it if you remind her of that.”
Then he turned to leave her in my care while he went back to read a story to a two-year-old and diaper a six-month-old.
Although everything was different, nothing of value had changed.
The chairs in our churches are spaced six feet apart. We stagger our rows and mask our faces. Distance shies us from one another, it picks at friendship and plucks at community. It takes effort to meet and greet.
Our political climate is rife with conspiracy theories and party intrigues. It is chocked with stuffings of disrespect and malignment. Stories fly, believable yet untrustworthy. Craziness happens.
Candidates approach each other like Sumo wrestlers. Plots stranger than any make-believe hatches even more bizarre schemes. Agendas propagate one thing and the other another. Dire predictions spill like lava and add to underlying fear from a pandemic.
We are in a really weird time folks.
And in my isolated church chair on Sunday morning, surrounded by the body of Christ gathered for worship, I wonder, what it means to us. Evil forces have always conspired against God’s people. Malignant roots deep and twisted are part of Satan’s plot to overthrow God since the beginning of time. Wickedness has always been at war with righteousness. There have always been those who seek to manufacture God’s words as if they could control Him to further their own vile actions. Has not the deceiver always sought to bring down the church?
Since the snake in the garden, Satan has been afoot like a roaring lion seeking to devour. He has been bold in the past and will increase in audacity as our time comes closer to an end.
But church, this what Christ came to defeat. Isn’t the gospel the same today as it was on the day Christ died and rose again?
Dear body of Christ, masked and distanced six feet apart, nothing of value has changed.
Church, singing praise through bindings of cotton, nothing of value has changed.
Church, greeting with elbow bumps and air hugs, nothing of value has changed.
Church, with the enemy waiting in the wings, nothing of value has changed.
The gospel is the same as it has been for centuries. It remains true. Jesus died for our sins and redeemed us. He rose again. He is coming back. He has prepared a place for us. Eternity with the Father awaits.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (ESV)
Throughout the history of the church, worshippers around the globe have had deeper handicaps than the coronavirus to overcome in order to congregate. They wandered in caves, in deserts and mountains, in chains and were destitute. They were stoned, sawed in two and killed with the sword.
And, the world was not worthy of them. (Hebrews 11:38)
“Nothing of value has changed,” Jesus assures us.
The gospel remains the same. He has conquered sin and death.
“Nothing of value has changed,” my son-in-law said over my daughter.
Nothing has.
Marcy Giesbrecht
Blessed truth!! Clinging to it daily. 💗
Sylvia Schroeder
Thanks Marcy. So am I!
Arnie C
Sylvia,
Truly a good reminder
Sylvia Schroeder
Thanks Arnie. I am so very grateful that the gospel remains the same. Glad you read and commented. I appreciate it so much.
Jeannie Waters
Sylvia, your post reflects the most powerful perspective I’ve read during the pandemic. Thank you for reminding us where true importance lies.
Sylvia Schroeder
Thanks Jeannie. I feel this so deeply these days. I appreciate so much you reading and commenting.
Barbara J Duerkop
Thanks, Sylvia.
Sylvia Schroeder
Thank you Barb for reading and commenting. We do live in weird times. I’m so grateful for a Sovereign Father who is unchanging.
J.D. Wininger
Well said author. It’s sad that a tragedy like your daughter’s illness is what it takes for some folks to pay attention to what’s important. I wanted to reach out and hug everyone in your post this morning. Thank you for sharing God’s truth in your story.
Sylvia Schroeder
Thank J.D. Felt the hug!!
Sharon Waknin
Thanks for this note of encouragement … so needed at this time.
Sylvia Schroeder
Thanks Sharon!
Linda Kline
Sylvia , What a beautiful message. Thanks so much. Sending this to many friends . Miss you all so much. Take care. ❤️👵🏻
Sylvia Schroeder
Ah Linda! Miss you too. Thank you so so much. I really appreciate that you take the time to read and share!
Don Pahl
Thanks again, Sylvia.
Timely. Truthful. Transforming.
Don
Sylvia Schroeder
Thanks Don. I feel this one deeply. So easy in these days for us to become unmoored. As always I appreciate you reading and commenting!
Lynn Fox
Sylvia, this was powerful 10 years ago and powerful today. Love the youtube video …. to see you and hear your voice. xoxo
Sylvia Schroeder
Lynn, you were such a great part of the story. You were such a precious part of the body of Christ to us. Remember how you sang to Charity at night? You made me laugh even when I cried. Thanks friend.
Marilyn Krehbiel
Thanks for the reminder of this precious truth!!!
Sylvia Schroeder
Thanks Marilyn. I appreciate you reading and commenting. Nothing of value has changed, has it!!
Gaytha A Bolton
Thanks, Sylvia, for reminding us of a wonderful truth!
Sylvia Schroeder
Thanks Gaytha. I am so grateful we have a constant God and Father.
Katherine Pasour
Sometimes when we are going through the trial, it is hard for us to accept your message of “nothing of value has changed.” Yet, it is when we are in the dark valley, that it is most important to recognize that the Light of Jesus is always with us. Thank you.
Sylvia Schroeder
You are right. It is so difficult to remember in the dark that what really matters remains unchanged. I am so grateful for the unchanging Father we have and His constant unwavering love. Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Lana Bourn
Thanks so much for your timely reminder. As my prayer group this morning discussed the stresses and disunity being caused over just whether or not folks are willing to wear a mask in church, I appreciated your comments about the difficulties our church fathers faced to even to able to meet without the threat of torture and death. Many Christians around the world are still unable to openly meet. May we count our blessings, exude the grace and mercy we have received from Jesus and show the world the unity we are called to exhibit because of the unchanging love of a sacrificing Savior. Thank you so much for the calm words of assurance.
Sylvia Schroeder
Lana, I appreciate so much your words! I can’t help thinking about our brothers and sisters around the world who live under constant threat because of their faith. We have much to be grateful for even in a pandemic. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Ann Gemmel
Such powerful truth. And while I am not typically big on “mantras” – this one I am hanging onto!
“ Nothing of value has changed!”
Sylvia Schroeder
Thank you Ann. I seem to need to remind myself of that fact often. Nothing of value has changed, praise Jesus! Appreciate the read and love the comment!