1. A crisis is bound to bring out either the best in people or the worst: people literally fighting over the last package of toilet paper in Walmart, hoarding food and generally allowing paranoid selfishness to overcome their sanity.
OR, on the contrast is the group of people in my community who have rallied together to purchase grocery gift certificates and quietly slip them into the school's lunch delivery bags. These people don't want recognition, they just want to help their neighbors.
2. This is a time for us to join together and fall on our faces in prayer before the LORD - to stop fixating on the news and hysteria and start turning our eyes to God for healing, for peace, for hope, and for the strength to endure this pandemic. It's our moment to pray not only for those close to use but to become prayer warriors for the unfortunate, those battling the illness, the leaders who face daily decisions and the whole world.
3. Giving up some of our regular comforts can be seen as a major inconvenience when we didn't choose it, but isn't it interesting that this crisis comes in the midst of the season of Lent? Lent is a time for fasting from out selfish idolatrous comforts in order to draw near to God and to prepare our hearts to fully embrace the message of the cross and resurrection. These days we are forced to live quieter lives, to slow down and to give up our comforts - let's turn that into a holy moment of surrender to God and let Him use it work in our hearts!
4. In isolation, sometimes we can actually connect more with people than we typically do. My life is so busy usually that in the evenings and on weekends, I'm just in recovery mode. But I've had more conversations with my extended family over the past week than I typically do. We all need someone to reach out to us and we need to think of those who live alone - this is a great opportunity to use the time we have to foster those relationships.
5. Don't ever forget that God is still in control. We studied the story of Mark 4:35-41 on Sunday where Jesus falls asleep in the boat in the midst of a violent storm. The disciples first think that perhaps he doesn't really care about them and they are wondering if he's even paying attention to their dilemma. We feel that way too, don't we? Everything seems so out of control and we have no way to manage the storm and God seems like He is asleep. But Jesus was asleep in the boat because He KNEW Who was in control - He knew that He could stop a storm in a second and He never had a second of anxiety because He understood God's sovereignty. Jesus is this boat with us - it might feel out of control but He is still in control.
6. Going outside for fresh air, projects and walks can be healing. In the past few days, I've appreciated the signs of wildlife in the woods - stashes of stored up food in the rotten part of dead trees, deer in the field, geese flying overhead, swans that we startled and even a caterpillar.
7. Worship and praise is healing too! Sing more, blast that worship music loud and watch it change your attitude and your heart.
8. Maybe God is using this to draw us closer together as families. We've lost the art of family dinner time, family prayer and time playing games together. These times are forcing us to sit together at the table and draw near to each other - enjoy each other's company and grow strong as a family.
9. Let God use this as a time to draw near to Him as well. More time on our hands could mean Netflix marathons or it could mean spending more time in the Word, soaking in God's truth, listening for His voice and meditating on His character.
10. This is a time to look for those moments of joy, the gifts in the midst of the storm and to have a heart of gratitude. End each day with thanksgiving for what God has blessed us with as a reminder that He is Good!
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