What a strange world we find ourselves living in right now.  Never before in my life time have I seen anything like this.  While it’s a little scary, I will admit that the introvert in me is loving this forced time out!

This last weekend my husband had a ministry trip scheduled in California.  As most of you familiar with this blog know, we have vulnerable, at risk children.  For this reason, I had serious reservations about his participation at this event.  I strongly offered my opinion about his travel plans and let him know that IF he chose to go, there would be a mandatory 14 day quarantine in the basement when he returned home.  He thanked me for my advice, packed his bags and caught a plane to California 🙂

Let me take a minute here to say that I LOVE my husband.  I love his passion and zeal for the Lord and His people.  His heart is the biggest and most giving I have ever known and I fully support his ministry and job.  This “time out” that he is now experiencing is not about punishment in anyway.  It is about protection.

Before he got home I set up our basement with everything that he would be needing.  As I was laying out clothes, blowing up the air mattress and shopping for the paper plates and utensils I would be serving him with, I was overcome by sadness.  I would have thought that anger would have been my predominate emotion, but that was not the case.  His choice caused a physical separation in our relationship and I was mourning the loss of being able to be close to my very best friend.

God gives us guidance and advice about how we should be living our lives.  We have the bible, we have our pastors and spiritual teachers who help us discern what is right and wrong.  God really does give these directives for our good and our protection.  When we make decisions to go against his directives for our lives and sin, this causes separation from God.

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you.”  Isaiah 59:2.

Is it possible that God mourns the separation that results from our sin more than he feels angry?  We were created with the sole purpose of intimacy with God, he longs for that closeness and connection with us.  When we do something that separates us from him, does he feel the physical pain that I felt preparing a physical space for my husband away from myself?

I had never viewed the consequence of my sin in this way before.  It literally hurt my heart.  I will never view sin the same again.

My husband is currently on day 3 of his 14 day quarantine.  Let me tell you, this is torture for me.  We have a great marriage and enjoy spending most of our time together.  I find myself sitting on the stairway (ensuring at least 6 feet distance between us) for hours each day.  I just want to be as close to him as I can be.

As I was sitting on the stairs today, I  asked him, “Do you think this is what God does? Even as we are separated from him due to our sin, does he get as close to us as he can just to be near us?”  I think he does.  I think that is the nature of God.  He is Immanuel “God with us.”  Now the distance between us………that is up to us.

Currently, we are all on a little “Holy Time Out.”  May I suggest that you to take this time to meet with God.  Read your bible, listen to worship music if you are feeling fearful right now.  He may be sitting on the steps waiting, trying to be as near to you as he possibly can be.