Last month’s column was written just before the governor issued the Shelter in Place order. And it seems obvious to state—no one could have seen this whole coronavirus thing coming. And even now—as I write this in mid-April, knowing it will be for the May issue—there’s still so much uncertainty. It’s hard to know what to say or where to start. I’ve certainly been addressing it regularly in the daily blogs I write, but how do I write this for an audience to read a few weeks from now?
The bottom line is this—in these uncertain times, with so many unknowns, what if’s, and our attempt to make heads or tails out of contradictory reports—what is certain is that our future and very lives are in the hands of an all-knowing God. That has been my saving grace through this ordeal.
Before Shelter in Place was ordered, and as this whole thing began to unfold, I went to the grocery store. Down one aisle, I prayed bold, confident prayers that declared God’s power and goodness. The next aisle, my prayers turned weepy and fearful—“God, what on earth is going on?” So, if you were in Clemmons, and if you happened to see a woman alternating between calm and cool in the cereal aisle and wiping tears away in the canned food aisle, that was me. And I promise—I’m okay.
And I’m okay today, too. As one of the best meme’s I’ve seen recently said, “I have a mustard seed, and I’m not afraid to use it.” Yes, fear and anxiety have their moments. But my faith is strong enough to know that my Heavenly Father is bigger than any virus or any threat. He knew it before it happened, and He knows what is going to happen next. My job in this is to worship Him through it and trust that no matter what happens, He is still in control.
Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” These words, given to Joshua when God commissioned him to lead Israel into the Promised Land, hold true for us, too. As of today, as I write this, where we go may be from the kitchen to the living room. Maybe, in May, we’ll be out and about a bit more. But wherever we go, God is always present. Perhaps we need to see this time as a blessing that has forced us to slow down. God never designed us to go at the non-stop pace at which most of us operate. He’s giving us a chance to reconnect with our families. And He’s giving us a chance to seek Him. In Jeremiah 29:13, God said, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Are you seeking Him? Throughout this season of fear and uncertainty, it’s important to remember this—life will never be perfect. We will always have unknowns to face. But whether it’s our best day or our worst day—God is good. God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good.
If you’ll seek Him and trust Him, He will flood your heart with the peace only He can offer. Peace that even settles anxiety of pandemic-proportions.
