It is no accident you are alive at this very moment. It is not a coincidence your days of life are actually these days. We’re making history right now, and you were destined to be part of that history. Our current circumstances and reality have been in the works since the beginning of time and you were hand selected to be right here, right now. You have a purpose in this. You play a role in this monumental time in history.

Ephesians 2: 10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Yes, you are God’s finest work, his divine masterpiece. Your life may look a little messy right now, but trust you are still God’s masterpiece in progress. He knows exactly what he’s doing.

And what does this scripture say? He created you so you can do the good things he planned for you a long time ago. Now think about that … if God knew in advance the good things he created you to do, don’t you think he also knew the hard things heading your way before they ever touched your today?

Of course he did. He not only knew it, he planned it.

He created YOU for a time such as THIS. He placed you in this world at this exact time in history for a great purpose. The purpose of doing good things. And these good things will act as those precise paint strokes with perfect placement which reveal the masterpiece that has always been in progress. The masterpiece that is you. Your life. Your place. Your goodness.

You are here to make history. This worldwide pandemic, this epidemic that has touched every single one of our lives in one way or another, this unbelievable reality that has created panic has also created an opportunity.

The opportunity for you to to the good things God has always planned for you.

For the moms and dads now charged with homeschooling your children, this was always part of the plan. You were chosen for this.

For the seniors who have been robbed of their final months of school and all the monumental moments they’ve worked so hard for, you were trusted with this. It’s not fair and I’m so very sorry, but you will be the class we always remember. Rise up.

For the business owners and managers forced to make choices they never imagined making, you were chosen for that position for exactly this. You are in charge because you have been trusted to lead.

For the health care workers running on nothing but fumes from the most exhausting hours of your life, you were precisely chosen for this. You have been perfectly placed in your position to do what only you can do.

For every single one of us, regardless of title or status, WE WERE CHOSEN FOR A TIME SUCH AS THIS. We are here as part of history to do the good God had planned for us long ago.

Now, it’s show time ya’ll!

It’s time to show up and do what we can do. It’s time to bring our own flavor of good to our homes, to our communities and to the world. What does that look like?

Ahhhh, take a look at social media. Go ahead, it’s okay. There’s still a fair share of political extremes, negativity, doom and gloom, but more-so there’s people doing good. True good.

I’ve seen it, have you?

I saw a pop up food pantry in a neighborhood near Huntington Beach, California. A roadside collection of food and toiletries to give and take as needed. A show of compassion to all in need.

I saw the most beautiful sidewalk chalk art coloring the pavement on streets near Chicago, Illinois. A show of happiness and joy to all who pass.

I saw Christmas lights drug out of the garage and placed back on houses and businesses in Tampa, Florida. A show of hope and peace for all neighbors to see.

I saw truckers receiving snack bags from a family at a roadside rest stop in St. Louis, Missouri. A show of gratitude for a complete stranger working hard to supply our needs.

I’m willing to bet more people attended Church yesterday than any Sunday ever before. I attended 4 services in 4 states! Churches broadcast their services live and families sat in their homes and watched, some from thousands of miles away. Members of my own leadership team, all stretched out from California to Texas, to Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois, were in Church together!

Neighbors gathered in their backyards at a safe distance and created a brand new thing … neighborhood zumba.

I, along with over 100 thousand others watched a band perform on a stage in Boston, to an empty room for St. Patrick’s Day. They gave every ounce of their energy as if we were there singing along. It’s a moment I will forever remember sitting in my kitchen playing cards with my husband, watching them rock that stage.

In my own downtown loft, we had a live concert in our hallways this weekend. We were each invited to open our doors and pull a chair into the hall as a neighbor performed a full concert from her door. She received a standing ovation and rolls of toilet paper as payment.

This is the best of humanity on display. This is why we are here today. For such a time as this.

Esther 4:14 “Perhaps you were born for such a time as this.”

A time for you to do the good God planned for you long ago.

What can you do now?

This is a life altering pandemic. I do not make light of that. Lives are on the line here. This is serious.

Life looks radically different today than it did last month at this time. Last month on this day I was traveling with my husband on a road trip in Kentucky, at the Maker’s Mark distillery dipping our own bottle of bourbon in red wax. We were touching all the things, close to all the people, never questioning it for a second. And here I am today having not left the house for anything more than a walk in over 2 weeks.

I may be shut in and you may be on quarantine, but remember, PERHAPS YOU WERE BORN FOR A TIME SUCH AS THIS. And perhaps it is for the good God has always planned for you to do.

Let’s turn our focus in this direction now. A direction of “what good can I do?” Yes, this will be an intention shift from the “why is this happening to me”, “why am I surrounded by idiots”, and “what will happen next”.

WHAT GOOD CAN I DO?

Can you be part of the movement of hope by hanging your Christmas lights?
Can you be part of the spread of compassion by offering the extra you have?
Can you be part of the happiness crew with chalk art?
Can you share your gifts and talents in a creative way to bring happiness to others?
Can you show gratitude in a tangible way to those working to keep us safe?
Can you offer extra patience and care to those crabby souls frustrated with this disruption?
Can you leave a positive online review for a business currently affected?

We are surrounded by opportunities unlike ever before. You are here on purpose with a purpose. Now, what good can you do?

We are here making history.
Me and you sister, we are making history.
Let’s make it good.