Parallels

It’s been different.

Whichever variable that has switched up for me or for you, this period has been different.

Similarities are drawn by the fact that change has been universal, but the impact has not.

The sweetness of highs and the lingering bitterness of the lows have perhaps been the most unpalatable yet.

It’s a struggle to comprehend the continuity of these months. When rolled out before us they feel dense enough to grip in theory, until reality deems it vapour.

In retrospect all the natural seasons have remained the same. We’ve experienced it all, but still it’s been different.

One outstanding theme across the span of this period has been ‘parallels’.

I took a moment to try to come to terms with the fluctuating nature of human emotions, how it is possible to share miraculous moments of joy and in the same breath, moments of pain and sorrow.

Here lays the parallel: Emotions spanning across a spectrum with a neutral middle ground and the same continuous distance between them.

My lesson of parallels highlighted this truth: the ‘neutral middle ground’ is not a void region, but a heavily occupied one.

There, in my middle ground God remained heavily present. He saw me through each emotion and patiently taught me that for everything there is a season and a time. There is a safe space to go through these emotions with God because He never leaves, He is entirely faithful.

I witnessed God’s faithfulness in the midst of joy and in the midst of pain and though these are parallel emotions, there God was. Still present. If that is my blessing/ takeaway for the year, I am grateful.

If we were to roll out the experiences of every human being on a spectrum, I’m sure we can say we’ve experienced it all and more this year. Though we can draw parallels and draw distinctions between highs and lows, God remains at the centre - Heavily present and entirely faithful to never leave.