Lent Day 33 “For such a time as this?”

Reading

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:26

Reflection

Covid Lockdown. What a time to be trying to teach A level Chemistry remotely. It has not been not going well. But this verse in Acts jumped out at me one day recently. “Of all the times and places to choose, why am I here, now?” I asked God. The answer was immediate. “Because your students need you”. I thought about the girl with worsening mental health problems, the boy who doesn’t understand our remote learning software, the girl who needs an A in Chemistry to meet her offer from Oxford, about the hearing-impaired girl who can’t access online lessons without specialist equipment. Like many, I was biding my time until things ‘returned to normal’. But what about now? This was my time and my place. I needed to act. I set up weekly phone chats with the girl with mental health issues. I produced a guide for accessing Teams for the boy. I gave the girl detailed feedback so she could improve her work. I added subtitles in my lessons for the hearing-impaired girl. In short, I woke up to the huge opportunities of lockdown to serve my students, and to serve God. I sought God, reached out, and found Him. He is indeed not far from any of us.

Spiritual Exercise

Try this:
Consider the time and place God has chosen for you. What unique opportunities await you during this very unique time? How can you serve God and others during this Lenten season? I encourage you to try it for yourself. My prayer is that as you reach out to God, He will surprise you with new opportunities to fulfil your calling in this very unique time and place.Have a listen to this great song as you think about today’s reflection: