I’m feeling emotional about my Zoom microphone.
I’m fairly certain that sentence would’ve made no sense in 2019 or anytime before. It barely makes sense now, and, yes, I was trying to be a bit dramatic just to get your attention.
I’m also attempting to take a brief look back at 2020 by looking at one small object in my home office. A brief look back, because I don’t think I’m ready to handle a full retrospective on 2020 yet.
But, yes, let’s talk about my Zoom microphone and why it’s making me emotional. What emotions? Well, there’s gratitude. There’s also angst, regret, dread, and probably a few others. Let me attempt to explain.
Gratitude – My Zoom microphone was given to me by one of the regular attenders of the Officer Training study that I teach every year for prospective deacons and elders. One of the 2020 attenders gave it to me. Before this gift, he walked me through how to set up our Officer Training study on Zoom in March 2020, as the world was rapidly changing. I had barely heard of Zoom until he told me about it, suggesting that it was a much better option than Skype (which I’ve used in the past) or Facetime (Apple users only) or some other option we discussed. Before long, the church would have multiple Zoom accounts. Praise the Lord one of our members did a lot of video conferencing for work and got me up to speed. And what’s more? After the first or second meeting of Officer Training that was held on Zoom (which meant we no longer had to worry about meetings getting snowed out), this gentlemen reached out to me and said something like, “Ya know, it looks like we might be doing this for a while. Would you like me to buy you a proper microphone?” I said sure. I’m not sure how much he spent, but it looks pretty solid, like one of the ones that the worship team uses. One of the main differences from the sanctuary ones (I think) is that mine has both a standard microphone cable input and a USB-C input, the latter allowing me to plug it into my computer for relatively easy use. I have no idea how many times I’ve used this thing since March 2020. When I received it, I had no idea how helpful it would be. If I had known back then how many times I would use this thing, I would’ve … I’m not sure. I might’ve refused the gift out of spite for the circumstances of 2020 that I would never wish upon anyone. I hope that I might’ve responded better (had I know how long I would need to use this mic), similar to how I did respond at the time: simple thanksgiving for a kind deed from someone who knew I could benefit from a thoughtful gift. Maybe it was God’s kind providence to me that I didn’t know in March 2020 how much I would use that microphone. Maybe it was also a kind providence that I was given the gift at all. Probably both. So, for those reasons and many others, thank you, Lord, for this microphone that allows me to conduct better Zoom meetings. Thank you to the member of Forestgate (he knows who he is) who gave this to me.
Gratitude. That’s the emotion I’m feeling right now.
But is there also some anger (that certain parts of 2020 happened), some regret (ditto), some dread (as I attempt to relive even small portions of last year), and probably a few other emotions. I could explore those emotions, and I have already (with friends and family, in other articles, in sermons, during prayer request time at various meetings, and more).
But who wants to go there? Spring is in the air. Easter is around the corner. (It’s Maundy Thursday and April Fool’s Day as I write this, an interesting combination). The Lord tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. Not FOR all circumstances, but IN all circumstances. And as I look back briefly on the past year, I’m thankful for a Zoom microphone given to me by a generous church member. Not necessarily thankful for the reasons that required the use of it. But I’m thankful for it, all the same. Thankful for a God who is sovereign. Thankful for a God who died for my sins and didn’t stay dead. Thankful for a God who is Risen and who is making all things new.
Gratitude. I think that’s enough emotions for today. Happy Easter, everyone. He is risen! Indeed!