Day 34...

It's day 34 of Quarantine...ask me why I know it's day 34? Because 34 days ago I left my school building for the last time, with the idea in my head that I would see my students again in 2 days. Friday the 13th, of all days, was the last day I saw the most amazing 6th graders around. While "quarantine" didn't technically start until that Monday...I count it. 
34 days (minus 5) of teaching online. Of checking emails, calling parents, helping students into the evening, and praying those I haven't heard from are okay. 
34 days of not being with my church family like I'd like to be. Of going to the church office on Sunday's to either "be the audience" or to help with the facebook feed. Zoom call after Zoom call, google meet after google meet, everything is taking place through technology. Ordering groceries online for curbside pickup, wearing masks (or trying to find a mask)...34 days of trying to figure out a new normal. 
That all sounds a little negative doesn't it? I had to get through the hard reality first. 
34 days of trying not to waste my quarantine. 
What does "waste my quarantine" mean? 
It means...making the most of this extra time I have to spend time with my savior when I complain all the time that I don't have enough time. This has been 34 days of nothing but time. 
Praying those hard prayers that I know don't go past His ears. 
Reading scripture after scripture, not only for encouragement, but for reality. 
Waking up each morning with a new song in my heart. 
Recognizing that this is nothing in the face of our future. Nothing in the face of reality. 
God has this. God has not left us. He is a just God who answers prayers in His time and in His way. He is not ignoring us. He is not being mean...He's being Just. He's being sovereign. 
34 days of unlimited time with Jesus. 
Yes, I'm having to work from home as a lot of us are having to do. Yes--many are still having to make the drive to work. We're living as though God pressed pause for a little bit though. 
Time seems to almost be standing still. He's taken our lives, He's rearranged (or wiped clean) our schedules. Really the only things on our schedules now might be work and zoom calls. 
So why waste this time? 
Take the opportunity to spend time with Jesus right now. In these minutes. When your mind starts to wander...when things start to seem overwhelming...when you're at the point of so much isolation that you can't stand yourself anymore...turn to Jesus. Crack open your Bible and read...there's going to be something in those pages that applies to today. Turn to Paul's letters and preachings. Start there! 
This is not 34 days of the worst life we could live. 
This is not 34 days so far of negativity and anxiety (though the world likes to make it seem that way).
Turn off the news. 
Stop reading articles about COVID-19 for a little bit. 
Start reading God's message to you and me. 
I guarantee life will look better if you do that instead of listening to all the opinions going on in the world. 

So yes, it's been 34 days so far. The world around us has shut down. Reality seems strange and different. We can't visit with people like we want. We can't go see our church family like we'd love to do. We are longing for those hugs again. And who knows just how much longer we will be in isolation? Regardless...God is with us. He's in control. He's on the throne. He knows the answers. 34 days is nothing to Him. 
Focus on the moment you are in. Focus on God's word. Turn to Him :). 

What is God's response to COVID-19?

We are living in a time where people are fearful of what's going on in our world...a time that we really didn't see coming, didn't imagine coming...a time where we have said in the past "that'll never happen to us" or "well it's in other parts of the world, it won't reach the US". 
We have questions. We think that having questions is showing lack of faith, but as my pastor preached this morning through Habakkuk, having questions is not a lack of faith at all. 
If you'd like to hear my pastor's sermon from Habakkuk or ANY of his sermons, click here. 
Today's message was one that really hit home with what's going on in our world. 
My pastor said this morning "Times of uncertainty can produce a lot of worries in our heart."--This resonates so true through this time of uncertainty. We question, well how many more people is this virus going to hit? How many more will die? Why is God not hearing our cries? Why is He not healing our world? 
These questions...as my pastor said today...are not indicative of a lack of faith. 

Abraham, David, and Job all questioned...all "complained"...all implored to the Lord. But these questions have a way of drawing us closer to the Lord. 

I don't want to give the full sermon away, because I'd love for everyone to listen to it...but God will and is answering us. In His time and in His way. 
Just like when Habakkuk was asking His questions...God's answer was that He was Judging Babylon. But as Habakkuk continued to question and wait on the Lord, God softened his heart and finally answered with this..."the wicked will be punished and the righteous must live by faith"

God will answer our cries. In HIS timing. 

He has not forsaken us. He has not changed. He is still on the throne. He will reign and those of us who are in His will, we will be saved. 

I've learned so much not just from my pastor's sermon, but also from just being home...God is sovereign. 
He is every present in our times of trouble. 
He loves His people, and He longs for us to spend time with Him. 
Who knows? Maybe this pandemic is a way to bring His people closer to Him...maybe it's a way to draw people to Christ. Maybe, just maybe, it will save our world. 
People need hope. Our ONLY hope is in Jesus. 
Right now...in this pandemic...people are searching for any type of hope. My prayer is they will find Christ in the midst of all of this. 

Let us continue in prayer with each other. Let's pray for our world. Pray that God will continue to have his hand on this situation. Pray that those of us who are in Him will draw nearer to Him, and that despite loneliness we can remember He is with us. 

Let us continue to hold out hope. To hold on to our faith. 

God will respond. He will answer our questions. He will continue to hold us. Seek Him!

Trust God

I came across this on my timehop today--3 years ago, clearly something in my life was going on that provoked me to write this in my journal. I couldn't begin to tell you what it was now. Maybe if I go back to that journal, I could figure it out. 
Today, however, it provoked a new emotion. Not fear. Peace. As we are in the midst of a world crisis right now, we need to remember who the King of this world is. We need to remember who is ultimately in control. I have to say, that praise God, through this time I have not experienced fear. I trust my savior. 
Philippians 4:6-7 says "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

And Isaiah 43:1 says "Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine."

The Lord calls us His. 

He commands us not to fear, not to worry, not to be anxious, because He is our redeemer and He is in control. 

While the whole world seems completely chaotic and out of control right now, let us not forget who we belong to. Let us not forget the spirit who lives within us. 

Let us not forget who is IN control. 

My God is bigger than this virus. He is bigger than sickness. My God is in control. 

In the wake of COVID-19

Covid-19--the first pandemic I remember ever having to live through. In 31 years, I don't recall the world shutting down for a virus. Flu outbreaks have happened, H1N1, SARS, all these epidemics happened, yet none shut down our world. In this time of crisis, it seems as though our world is going one of two directions--complete fear and anxiety as to what is to come, or complete reliance on the Lord; remembering He is still on the throne. 
I've been in my house for 3 days now, with no physical contact with the outside world, and I can say that it does start to wear on one's emotional state. Even as an introvert, I still long for physical contact with people. Yesterday I even started having a pity party a little bit over what's going on in the world--but how selfish of me to do that. How completely selfish of me, when I'm healthy and I have food and a home and although I don't have physical contact, technology is a wonderful thing that keeps us together. Today I woke up humbled. Today I woke up and remembered all the blessings God has given me, and all the means of communication He has provided--and I was brought to my knees before the Lord. 
We all have stuff going on during this time of insanity. I'm working from home to ensure my students are receiving their education still. In fact I just finished a google hangouts session with 3 of my students. I discovered during that small session just how important my work is to some of my students. One of my students passionately expressed to me how bad she felt for Confucius who died believing he was a failure. She would have never expressed this passion in the classroom, but when it was just a few of us together, in the comfort of our homes, she showed me a side to her I'd never seen. That in itself is amazing. This pandemic is allowing me to get to know my students through a virtual outlet. 
I have other friends who are working still to make sure their businesses continue thriving, and others still who are working with the public because they are in the medical field. I pray for them to stay healthy, but I also pray I can respect their time and understand life is overwhelming and crazy. 
This pandemic is strange and new to all of us. While it can be a scary time, do not forget who is in control. Our savior loves us, He saw this coming, and He will win over it all. "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7 
Do not give up on who God is, and how in control He is. Pray. Don't just pray for yourself or your friends. Pray for our nation and our world. Pray that others would come to know Jesus during this time. Pray that this would bring us all closer to Him as we spend time in His word. There's no excuse not to spend time in God's word right now. Keep in touch with your friends and family. Everyone has things going on, but we all need human contact (even us introverts). 
Give to relief organizations, and to churches. 
Serve those who need you if you can. 
Ultimately, remember who God is during this time, and who you belong to. 
The coronavirus can be scary--but we are not to be in fear, for Christ is by our side.