A Desert of Green

Posted on by beautybeyondbones

Quarantine Day 42. NYC

There’s a new feeling in the air these days. One that is sweeping through households and generations with reckless abandon these days as we’re all confined to our homes in a quarantine that, for those outside of NYC/NJ and other intense hotspots, is beginning to seem excessive, and an overexertion of restriction on our freedom.

That feeling we’re grappling with, is restlessness.

We’re all staring out our windows at the blooming tulips and bright blue skies, and just itching to get out there and start living again.

For the majority of the country, aside from NYC where I live, the total disruption of our lives and economy in response to the coronavirus, now seems like it could have been overkill. “The boogey man took residence elsewhere – not in our communities. Not in our circles. It’s confined to what we see on the news, and that’s about it.”

It’s up for debate, but many are feeling like they are sacrificing their lives and livelihood for a statistical model that predicted a worst case that never materialized.

And as a result, we’re getting restless.

The masks. The social distancing. The restrictions on our comings and goings — cancelation of church, suspension of school, closing of restaurants and retail, halting of jobs, calling off vacations, weddings, ceremonies.

We’ve grown restless. And we’re fed up.

I was talking to my mom about this today. How, people are just flooding parks and walking trails, grasping for any tiny bit of freedom and connection with others during this time of quarantine and isolation.

She’s seeing it in herself, and I’m seeing it in me, too. That desperation for connection and normalcy.

We’ve reached the end of our rope.

After our phone call, I was praying about how to write about this today. Asking the Holy Spirit to move in my heart, and give me the words to calm a restless heart, and what kept coming to mind was Psalm 23 — one of the most well known, and well loved scriptures in the Bible.

The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I lack.
In green pastures He makes me lie down; to still waters He leads me;
He restores my soul.

And to be honest, I resisted writing about this. It was so overplayed. So eye-rollingly simple and cliched. It seemed almost insulting to respond to our hearts aching with restlessness, with little old Psalm 23. It’s what grandmothers needlepoint on throwpillows…not how one responds to a pandemic.

But the more I resisted, the harder it kept pressing into my mind. So I decided to just start writing. And here’s what I got:

Right now, we are in a once-in-a-lifetime situation. Truly. There will, God willing, probably never be another global shutdown like there is right now. A world-wide pause. A collective halt that we are forced to comply with.

Is our restlessness warranted? Yes. Absolutely. Are we justified for wanting to return to our fast paced life, and get back to the movin’ and shakin’ we’ve grown accustomed to? Of course.

But in thinking about that time pre-quarantine, and really reflecting on it…how many times was I truly exhausted?

So often I would find my heart weary, having let it become too familiar with bad habits, or grueling schedules, that by the end of the day my soul would be like a deflated balloon.

This is such a unique time that God has given us. He is making us lie down in this green pasture. A green pasture that that might not match the image that comes to mind when we envision this cliched passage. Perhaps we may even think we’re currently in more of a desert right now than a green pasture.

But He is our Shepherd and is providing for us exactly what we need.

The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I lack.

And I’m even willing to bet that when we hear “there is nothing I lack” – we scoff a bit, and think…how about, being able to see my friends, having that paycheck this month, going on my cancelled vacation, etc.”

But at the end of the day, are we truly lacking anything? We’ve got food, we’ve got shelter. We’ve got connection — even if virtually — with loved ones.

This is the green pasture that God has led us to.

And the greenery we have available to us is Him.

He is our sustenance right now.

I think, at least for me, before all of this, I was finding my sustenance elsewhere: in my social life, in what I could achieve career wise, in cute clothes, and a constant stream of superficial securities that just flat out don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

We have been brought to a green pasture to feed on that which truly restores our soul, just like He promised He would do.

We have come to the still water, and it turns out that “still” can be difficult. “Still” can be hard for those addicted to action. It sure is for me.

But perhaps, this times of forced stillness and pause is exactly what we need.

We’re finally realizing that we’re starving. And it is my prayer that we can all come to recognize that there’s only one true sustenance.

And lucky for us, that’s what’s available in the green pasture in which we find ourselves this very moment.

I don’t know if that solves our restlessness. But perhaps we are to remember that this season will not last forever. And I think we need to look around and realize that the Good Shepherd has led us to this particular pasture for a reason. The pasture where we are to fill up on His love, His mercy, His peace, grace, and abounding comfort — and drink in His stillness.

Because when else have we ever had this privilege of time and ability to do so?

Restless? Nah – it is an opportunity for restoration of soul.

“This is what the Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” Ez 37:5

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194 thoughts on “A Desert of Green”

  1. Well said my lovely friend, restlessness and cabin fever is spreading like wildfire and much about all of this is in question right now. Life as we know it has completely flipped upside down and we are all ready for this to be over with and get back to some kind of normalcy. Thanks for the encouragement and the realness of the situation at hand that we’re all facing now.

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    1. thank you so much friend, i appreciate that so much 🙂 you’re right – we’re all craving that normalcy for sure. stay well!!! Hugs and love xox

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  2. I’m having a really hard time right now. My mind is going to some very dark places, and occasionally it has been affecting my work and friendships. Thank you for sharing your perspective.

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    1. Oh Greg, I’m sorry your battling that right now. I’m praying for you, friend. this is such a tough time — hang in there. this won’t last forever. Know that you’re in my thoughts!!! sending big big hugs and love xox

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  3. I don’t think we over did it on locking down, I don’t think we’ve done enough. It’s not isolated, it’s still spreading and killing. I just lost another friend who took all the precautions. I’m in NY as well but so many are experiencing the same worldwide.

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    1. oh Alexandra, I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. That is truly heartbreaking, and my thoughts and prayers are with you and your friend’s family as you all mourn that devastating loss. yeah NY is really, really taking a beating, and it is really so sad. thank you for sharing this perspective. this is definitely something that I think we will be seeing the ramifications of for months to come, and i hope and pray that we did enough. I do feel that NYC is taking quarantine seriously, and that, at least, is offering a little encouragement. Stay well my friend, and hang in there. this too shall pass. Hugs and love xox

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  4. “Restless? Nah – it is an opportunity for restoration of soul.” I really like your perspective on this! We can choose to see this time as dark and hopeless–or we can choose to find hope and bring light from the darkness.

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  6. Excellent post! I appreciate how you address both the frustration and the hope that comes with a time like this. In regards to good old cliche Psalm 23, I think this is a perfect example of the power of scripture. Even when a passage has been rehashed so many times, it can still bring something new to the table. Thank you for sharing your fresh perspective of the Psalm with us!

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  7. Good reminder of the truth! He is our portion forever!

    You’re always welcome to explore Wyoming and explore with me – spring is here and life is coming back as they snow recedes.

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    1. Thank you Jolie! I was talking to someone about that very thing just yesterday! A real eye opener! Stay well! Hugs and love xox

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  10. I have been feeling restless too. To help pass the time I have been doing mini Bible studies on an app called Bible. Right now, Jesus is showing me that my anxiety is not a place to be. He wants me to have peace. He has lead me through a Bible lesson on Forgiveness. This has helped me learn that it is okay to forgive my birth father for not wanting to be part of my life. I finally feel like I can forgive him and have peace. I hope he will reach out to have a relationship with me one day.
    Hugs.

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    1. Thanks so much for sharing that! I’ll have to look up that al! Oh wow such a powerful lesson! Stay well! Hugs and love xox

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  11. Truth is we live in the “valley of the shadow” and we should be appreciative of the Lord for that privilege that He alone has granted us. Thank you for giving me a yet deeper appreciation of this lovely psalm.

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  12. I really appreciate your Peacemaker’s take on the situation. I wish I had your serenity, and calm outlook on life.

    I tend to take this tack: This was ‘We the People’s’ golden opportunity to reclaim our sovereignty. This was our chance to tell our government – at both the state and federal level – to go to Hell. This was our chance to tell the media to shove their lies right up their butts. This was our chance to tell them that we love our freedom more than we fear for our lives. Our forefathers would have done the same.

    On the other hand…

    If everyone was like me, we’d be enduring war without end.

    Thank God for people like you.

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    1. Thank you Shaun for sharing your thoughts on this. It’s unprecedented times, that’s for sure. Stay well.

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  13. Yeah.. restlessness… its an old thing.
    Ever noticed toddlers? Their parents tell them, “be still. Don’t move.” But you still see them dancing in place, twiddling their fingers, etc. – they just can’t sit still.

    I remember a good sermon in which the lesson was based on the life of Abraham and Isaac.
    In both instances, there was a famine in the land of Canaan and God told Abraham to stay (Genesis 12 – 13). But Abraham didn’t and came down to Egypt. Sarah was beautiful and so worried about his safety, Abraham told the Pharaoh that she was his sister. And Pharaoh took her to be his wife, gave Abraham many gifts and then it became an almighty mess with diseases and stuff. God intervened by directly talking to Pharaoh.

    Abraham’s disobedience and lack of faith nearly destroyed the whole nation of Egypt.

    I would point this out to Abraham’s restlessness and not trusting God. Had he remained in Canaan, none of this would have happened and he would have still been blessed. But rather, he took matters into his own hands, then even didn’t trust God for protection and told a lie to save his neck – nearly destroying an innocent nation in the process. Yes folks.. this is the man we are calling as the father of our faith.

    In this quarantine time, battling with the restlessness, I am reminded of Psalm 46 – especially verse 10: “Be still and know that I am God.”

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    1. Haha oh gosh yeah I definitely feel a little toddlerish these day! Haha wow sounds like a powerful sermon! Thank you for sharing that! And I’ll have to reread psalm 46 this afternoon! Stay well! Hugs and love xox

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      1. yeah.. after I commented on your post, I felt I should expand it a bit in a separate article on my own blog. I guess you inspire me. LOL.

        Have a great day Caralyn.

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  18. Hey Caralyn, my love and respect for you as a writer and Christian and as a human, just flew out the window. It just blew up! This post is so spot-on! I actually was loving this quarantine period at first. But these days it was beginning to get really boring and tiring. I want my life back. But it just kept ringing in my mind to look at this issue from another perspective. I was wondering, what perspective would God rather have me look at this situation and here it is!! I should hold on to God more than ever!! You just handed me that perspective in my hands! Thank you! Thank you for listening and yielding to the Holy Spirit! God bless you!! You also just inspired my next blog post! God bless you greatly Caralyn! I hope you are safe and healthy this time too! 💖💖💖

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    1. thank you so much friend! oh my gosh i am so touched by your kind words! this made me smile. 🙂 thanks for sharing your heart. hang in there!!! Hugs and love xox

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  19. The way you felt about leaning on Psalm 23, is the same way I felt earlier this week leaning into 1 Corinthians 13. I knew I needed to end up writing about it, cliche and all. Thanks for choosing to write!

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    1. oh i’ll have to check out that verse! there is so much comfort in His Word! stay well Kim! thank you for stopping by! Hugs and love xox

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    1. Thank you so much! Yes! they are full of so much comfort and encouragement for sure! stay well! Hugs and love xox

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  22. Yes God does sustain us! Amen to that! But I have to disagree…..it was never overkill. This virus has killed over 50,000 Americans across the country, across generational lines, racial lines, religion lines. One pastor said God is bigger than the virus, and he didn’t take any precautions. Guess what? He died from Coronavirus. And I don’t think he was from NYC.
    Political spin from Fox News won’t bring back, or the tens of thousands of others.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this! yeah, i personally don’t think it was overkill either — especially for new york city. the reason it wasn’t more devastating is because we took such rapid and drastic measure. it could have been a lot worse. Gosh, what a sad story. Yeah, God is God, but we still need to live wisely! stay well! Hugs and love xox

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  25. Hey Caralyn, would it be alright if I added the link to this post on my own blog post to indicate where I got my inspiration from and to direct people to also come read this post and get inspired. Can I?

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  27. I was beginning to think I was the only one who saw what a rare opportunity this is…
    “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” ~ St. Augustine

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  30. Thanks, Caralyn. I really enjoyed and appreciated this. Having walked the hills of the Judean wilderness and see the sheep and shepherds on those hills, I can truly appreciate the green pastures David wrote about. He knew those hills and those valleys and came to the same conclusion you did: God is our sustenance – always has been, always will be – and the green grass and still waters will never run out. Thank you for your writing and our virtual “friendship”…and thank you for reading my DayBreaks from time to time. God bless and keep you now and always!

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    1. thank you so much Galen! 🙂 Oh wow, yes! What an incredible experience that must have been!! absolutely, i always emjoy reading your words! Hugs and love xox

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  31. This is a good perspective on the pandemic. God may not have caused it but He allowed it, and we can benefit from it by growing closer to Him during it. Peace of Jesus!

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