Liz Perraud
Executive Director
GenOn Ministries
Most days when I talk with my mom, she wraps up the call with, “Well, we’re coming along.” Even if she’s just shared something not-so-great about how she or my dad are feeling or how one is recovering from a fall, it’s still an encouraging tone and “we’re coming along” as she signs off. “Coming along” is an informal way of saying making progress and moving forward, which is exactly what she means. We’re doing better today than yesterday. Or better this afternoon than this morning. And the expectation is that tomorrow will be better yet.
That’s more than “coming along.” That’s hope.
That’s the hope we cling to during this pandemic, isn’t it? That we’re doing a little better each day. It’s not a light switch that clicks from “off” to “on” but a gradual improvement like a dimmer (or brightener!) dial. A little at a time.
Uma Karmarkar, a neuroeconomist at the University of California, San Diego, suggests we should think about “how we are moving forward” rather than “getting back to normal.” Meaning our 2021 normal is going to be a little (or a lot) different than our 2019 normal. But better than 2020.
Followers of Jesus Christ live by hope. And through that hope in Christ, we have confidence that God is doing a new thing. That God is right there with us in our “coming along.” Our moving forward.
In the book of Isaiah, we read good news from God…
Look! I’m doing a new thing;
now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the desert,
paths in the wilderness.
The beasts of the field,
the jackals and ostriches, will honor me,
because I have put water in the desert
and streams in the wilderness
to give water to my people,
my chosen ones,
this people whom I formed for myself,
who will recount my praise.
The new year (especially this new year) is a great time to see sprouts and know that God is doing a new thing with us, God’s people. It’s good to know that God is forging a way and putting water in the desert and making paths and streams through the wilderness. After the year we’ve all had (and will continue to live in for a while), we need marked paths and refreshing water from God. We need glimmers of hope to keep us “coming along.”
At GenOn we are your number one cheerleader. To you we say, “There’s hope! You’ve got this! We see what you’re doing! You’re coming along!”
We also can provide hope for you in simple, flexible resources, a chat on the phone or Zoom, online help with visioning, or something more if you’re ready. We’re all about relationships and partnering. Give us a call and let us know how you’re coming along, (412) 265-6541.