At my house today it feels like an ordinary day. My husband is in his office working like he usually does. I'm trying to catch up on things after being away for The Flourish Conference and then a visit to see my 5 month old granddaughter and her parents in Chicago. I could almost convince myself that it is just an ordinary day. Until I turn on the television that is.
It seems like the news is changing moment by moment, and most of it is not good. I don't know about you, but when there is constant news in an emergency, I get a little obsessed with watching because I want to know what is going on. I have decided, however, that I need to be a little more like my friend who only watches news for a few minutes in the morning and evening of each day. Why?
Well, do you find that the more news you watch in a crisis the harder it is to keep calm and keep the faith? Perhaps that is only true for a woman who used to be a chronic worrier. As I shopped with a friend the other evening to pick up a few items we needed, I noticed two things: that other shoppers seemed to be aggravated or really frustrated that the things they needed were not on the shelves. (We scored big when a lady walked by with a dozen eggs and when I asked her where she got them she smiled and said they were just putting some out.) The other thing I noticed and am more than grateful for is that I am not anxious, worried, or overly concerned.
If you have heard me speak or have read anything I've written, you already know that I used to be a chronic worrier. That is a story for another day, except to say that I rejoice that in Christ I can be so completely delivered of anxiety that even amid such a crisis, my heart is in perfect peace. Ladies, I am not boasting. I'm not judging either. I am simply grateful for the blessing of peace in the middle of a storm.
God has promised us peace ─ even in the midst of a crisis ─ if we will trust Him. I know how easy it is to get caught up in worry and wondering what is coming, but we do not have to go there. We can choose to accept the peace of God that passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:6-7) We can instead bring our concerns to Him because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7) We can worship instead of worry. We can give thanks instead of complain. We can help someone in need instead of looking out only for ourselves. We can be light in the darkness. We can hold on to what we know is true:
God is in control.
He knows what we need.
He promises to provide.
He loves us.
He is good.
This won’t last forever.
It was my intention to get our blog updated with an article that I wrote earlier, but when I was trying to import it into this site, I sensed a nudge from the Lord to speak to the situation of the day. Some of us are stuck in the house with kids who should be in school and are already bored and can't find anything constructive to do. Some us are unable to go to work and worried we won't be able to make ends meet. Some of us didn't get the memo about toilet paper and now can't find it anywhere! Some of us have jobs that are critical to the health and well-being of the people around us and are busier than we have ever been.
All of us need each other. If you are stuck at home, pray for those who have been working non-stop for our safety. If you are lonely, call someone. If you are worried, pray and ask God for help to find the peace He offers. If you are bored, do something you wished you had time for two weeks ago. If you are stressed, turn on some praise music and just sit in the presence of Jesus for a few minutes. Take a few minutes today to just stop and be still and ask Jesus what He wants you to do with this time.
Please know that you are loved. Your leadership team is praying for you and is available if you need us. You'll find our contact information on our bio pages. As the Lord leads, I will be posting further help and encouragement through this time of crisis.