My Dear Friend,
With so many changes taking place in the world, I thought I would take some time to share some things with you that will likely be of help to you or perhaps others around you. I will tell you a story about one of my times of significant life change and some of the things I learned when going through it. I think you will find a few things that can be applicable and helpful with people you know. Before that, I would like to remind you that Living God Ministries is still operating stronger than ever. We are encountering new people from all over the world, answering a lot of questions, and continuing to contribute to the faith of a lot of people just like we always have. There has been a lot of volatility with donations for the past couple of months so we are having some difficulty when it comes to budgeting and planning, but we still have a couple of months before we need to make major decisions concerning where we will continue to broadcast. Please do not forget us, and donate to our work when you are able. I would prefer not to use ministerial time doing fundraising, so please do take responsibility on your own to do what you can to help us continue to meet our contracts and perhaps be able to expand in the coming months.
It has been about 25 years now, but during one of my transitional experiences in life, I lost a high paying job. What happened was that I was offered a higher position because of my experience, training, and productive successes, but I turned it down because it was the kind of position that would make it very difficult if not impossible for me to be available to do things for my God if He would ever call upon me to do something with Him. The result was that I was no longer a part of the organization and I entered into this transitional experience of life. It was a very difficult time so I decided to take a, "break" and homesteaded some mountain property deep in the Rocky Mountains. I built a small cabin and was there for about nine months before I returned to civilization and started a new life again.
I have done a lot of camping in my time, but living in the forest is definitely a different experience. I learned a lot that I never would have without living through it myself, but what I think may be useful at this time is for me to share with you what it was like to make the adjustment from one life to another in this circumstance. It took a few days for me to get settled in and start on the new adventure, but about two weeks later I started to have this feeling of, "ok the vacation is over, it's time to go back to civilization." It was noticeable for me and it was an interesting adjustment to realize this was not just some little adventure but a whole new way of life. After about four weeks of this, I started to really question what I was doing there. I really was pondering, "why am I here?" I began to seriously question my purpose, my objectives and poor answers could have really led to some serious depression. Once I hit the six-week mark, I entered into a new phase of acceptance of the new reality of my life. It took a couple of more weeks from there and then I had my routines and projects to keep me more occupied and I would say that was when I genuinely started living there. About six months later, winter was coming so I decided to return to civilization to start again after my break. I sold the property for a profit and built a new life in a nice community.
I am telling you about this because for the past two months I have seen these same transitions in a lot of people I have been corresponding with. I think you know people going through changes like this also, if not yourself, and you have access to them, to be able to encourage them in some very profound ways. We are at that time now when a lot of people are just starting to accept the reality they have and are at risk of accepting the way things are for them. They may enter a serious form of depression and fail to engage the world in a new way and build a new life for themselves. They might feel a sense of deadness within themselves and fail to see new directions they can take. If you have the opportunity to talk with them, remind them that they are alive. Living things grow and living things change. Being a living person means by definition that you will experience growth and change in your life throughout your life from the womb to the tomb. When a former life definition is lost, it is necessary to define a new one, and considering the way the world has changed this must be as intentional as possible with focus, conviction, and diligence. Most of the time people have to learn how to do something new, according to the kinds of work available in their region, or move to another one where they can continue to do what they did before. It is important to be aware of the changes people are going through around you.
This is the time when people would normally start going to church. People begin to accept the reality that their lives are now different and they will either embrace it, move forward, and build something new, or they might move into depression and even despair. Even now suicide rates are competitive with virus infections and deaths. What is different now compared to any other time in history is that churches are closed. Some jurisdictions are allowing some churches to operate in a limited way, but with the social distancing and restrictions on children's programs, this is just not going to be the same. Many churches are facing bankruptcy and with the flu and cold season approaching soon, and a second wave of COVID 19, with uncertainty about #1-#18, and who knows how long it will be before COVID 20, I don't think church life is going to resume for at least another year at best. By the time permission is granted for normal church life to resume most churches could be already closed due to bankruptcy. Normally, this would be the phase where people would consider including God in the redefinition of their life, but this time, with the limitations placed on churches, this will be harder for most people.
Here at Living God Ministries we normally see people who go through this transition after a few years. The usual cycle is that a person goes to church, gets saved after 6 months or a year, they live the "Christian Life" for one or two years before they start getting a little tired of living by the church law. This is when they will start the church hop dance and move from one church to the next on average every two years. They enter a new one with the enthusiasm of the promise of grace but return quickly to the cycle of repent, obey, sin, forgiveness, repent, and so on. We normally hear from them after a few laps in this wilderness, but in the coming years, we might not see the same pattern we have seen in the past. With the limitations placed on churches, there is a high probability our position on the radio will become more important but an economic downturn will make it more difficult for us to hold our positions well. We are monitoring these trends closely and hope to have a better understanding within the next six months or so.
In the meantime, I would like to emphasize the importance of inviting people to your homes to have discussions about life changes and the Gospel. You have access to people in ways that others do not and it is important not to underestimate the influence you have when engaging one person at a time with a personal conversation. Small groups in homes having Bible studies have always been the most effective way to expand the Kingdom of God. You can use the messages available in the radio archive to facilitate group discussions or contact me for where you can find video content that is a replacement for the traditional in-person Sunday sermons. Contact us periodically to let us know how you are doing and also if we can be of any help.
With Thanks,
Aaron
Teaching Pastor for Living God Ministries
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