Pandemic Panic

*** God put it on my heart to write this post while I was high up on a ladder painting my house "Pinecone Hill" green on day 22 of the Coronavirus quarantine, though it admittedly it was a few days further into the quarantine before I was able to finish it. Make of that what you will, but I feel as if our life these past few years has given us some insight into living in situations of "If". ***

These are strange days we're living in. Something I'm pretty sure nobody still alive has seen in their lifetime. And to an extent, it's terrifying. If you really start to think about the ramifications of a disease that just developed that we don't know a whole heck of a lot about and that can spread like wildfire from one unknowingly sick person to the next, it can get pretty scary quickly. Especially when there's information overload everywhere and more than enough fear floating around to spare.

But dare I say it? That the worser pandemic isn't the coronavirus, but fear? Just using one's powers of observation, it's not difficult to see that fear is far more prevalent than this virus. We live in a country of about 327,200,000 people with 402,433 confirmed cases of coronavirus as I type this. Yet people are consumed with fear. Panic buying, doomsday prepping, and chastising people for perceived malicious not proper following of protocol are all pervasive side effects we've seen of people letting fear control them.

But no matter what the fear mongering mainstream media may tell us, and no matter how accurate or inaccurate the information floating around on the internet may be about this virus, WE ARE NOT CALLED TO LIVE IN FEAR. In fact, living in a state of fear is of great detriment to your health, as it takes hold of your physical and psychological well-being, and lowers your immunity (which isn't what you want should you come up against COVID-19), among other things. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment." The Creator didn't make us to live under that, and it is so innate that it actually wreaks havoc on us when we do.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear,

but one of power, love, and sound judgment."

2 Timothy 1:7

I know...that sounds great, but is it realistic? Yes. Yes. YES. Maybe not within the confines of our human minds, but with the help of God and His Spirit, it is absolutely possible to live in that kind of peace in this pandemic.

But how would I know? Well, the past few (5+) years have been full of some pretty scary circumstances and extreme uncertainty in my own life, personally. (I mean, stuff of the magnitude that makes this current crisis feel like just another thing to take in stride.) My husband is in law enforcement. We've done foster care. Our barn burned down. The house needed repairs that just seemed to snowball. Relational difficulties have happened. We've encountered countless car problems. A tornado hit our house. We've faced financial battles. The list goes on. And if I allowed myself to live in the fear that has at times tried to consume me because of these circumstances, I would probably not be a functional person. Even the few times that I have been overcome with fear, it was such a stressful state of being that I sought to be free from it and find peace immediately.

Right now some of you are living in the "if". (Okay, if we're honest, we're all living a bit in the "if" zone right now.) Of what if I go to the store and I touch something that causes the virus to spread and what if I or someone I love catches it and what if they have complications and what if it leads to death? Or what if this economy doesn't recover and I don't get my job back and we can't afford to go on? "If" is no place to live. I've been there and done that and don't ever want to do it again.

In law enforcement, the possibility of something happening to an officer is very real, as is the potential for retaliatory action against an officer's family. Foster care is full of so much unknown and worry for the future of children you've cared for and come to love. With unforeseen emergencies and natural disasters, sometimes it can be a struggle just to know how you'll make it through the new few moments, much less the days, weeks, and months to come. Many of those same feelings may be reigning supreme for you right now as we face quarantine and COVID-19. Maybe you've never had to face the very real fear of what if "if" happens. From someone who has spent the last several years living under lots of unforeseen "iffy" circumstances, let me comfort you with the fact that you don't have to feel like you're being held under the weight of that. Christ came to take those burdens. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus tells us to "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

"Come to Me, all of you who are weary

and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28

He goes on to invite us to take up His yoke, because it is easy and His burden is light. And it is. He bore our burdens so that all the weight of this world wouldn't have to hold us hostage. We see this theme of dependence on the Lord, even in (or perhaps especially during) times of trial, throughout Scripture. "When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy," says Psalm 94:19. "I sought the Lord and He answered me and rescued me from all my fears," proclaims Psalm 34:4 .

Christ Himself, who faced extremely dire circumstances and who understands our humanity gave us the promise of His peace in John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. don't let your heart be troubled or fearful." And in the excellent passage found in Matthew 6:25-34, He tells us, "...Don't worry about your life...Can any of you add one moment to his life-span by worrying?...Therefore don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

The Bible is cram packed full of people who faced circumstances, many far worse than what we face today. Yet they turned to Him. They chose to be filled with faith, not fear. That being said, will you still feel some degree of fear as you face uncertain circumstances? Probably. But the key is not letting it consume you, and not letting it control you. Act on your faith, NOT your fears. Fear lies. It tells us to trust in what our human minds can comprehend instead of God, who is bigger than what we can feasibly wrap our minds around. We HAVE to trust in His sovereignty and that He will work out all things for for our good and for His glory. It's not always easy to do that, but I promise you, it is worth it. You will see Him come through for you, even if the end result looks different than what you expect it to.

Probably my favorite Bible story is that of Jehoshaphat's battle, found in 2 Chronicles 20. If you're not familiar with it, I highly encourage you to read it. To sum it up, King Jehoshaphat found himself full of fear as they were surrounded by not one, but three enemy armies. But he sought to seek God and was told "Do not be afraid or discouraged...for the battle is not yours, but God's." So Jehoshaphat decides to send singers to the front lines to raise praise to the Lord, and at "the moment they began their shouts and praises," the Lord set an ambush against their enemies, and they were defeated. Maybe you're not facing multiple armies, but maybe the bills are piling up and you can't make ends meet, or mentally you're struggling with the social isolation, or you live in fear of exposure to the virus because your job is essential, or whatever else may be weighing you down right now. Stand firm in the Lord and watch Him work it out for your good and His glory.

"...the battle is not yours, but God's."

2 Chronicles 20:15

And things may not turn out the way you had planned or hoped. I know they certainly haven't in my circumstances. But that's okay, because His ways and His thoughts are far higher than mine, and I know I am better off when things go according to His plans than when they go according to mine. In some circumstances, we pray and we hope for a certain outcome, but to truly hand it over to God, we have to be willing to say that "even if not, He is still good."

We see this very thing play out in Daniel 3, where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are facing the fiery furnace if they don't worship who Nebuchadnezzar told them to. In verse 18, they answer the King, saying that even if God doesn't rescue them, they will not serve the other gods. Why is that? Because they knew that no other god was worthy. Because our God is good above all else. And that despite scary circumstances, He is no less good or worthy, regardless of the outcome.

I leave you with this verse, from Isaiah 41:10. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." I personally can attest to the fact that God will strengthen you and be your help and hold you up in difficult times. I am living proof of that fact. I am far better off today for the difficulties I've faced than I would have been had things always been easy and my faith never tested or stretched during those difficulties.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed,

for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you...

Isaiah 41:10

So no matter what you're up against during these strange days of social distancing to prevent disease spreading, take hold of the hope we have in Christ. He did not leave us or forsake us, but came after us. Trust Him above all else in these times and as you face trials.

This old tree of ours lost a branch during a windstorm last spring. The branch was literally hanging on by a thread. And we were slow to get it hauled off. A few weeks later, it was somehow still blooming. Growing and blossoming through trials. Even when a tornado severely damaged this same tree a few months later, and we had to cut it down, branches continued to spring forth from the stump, because it was deeply rooted and could stand the trials it faced.