I know you are out there. I’ve talked to you, and I’ve seen your posts on FB, received your videos in Messenger, and gotten your tweets on Twitter. I know you are feeling frustrated, fearful, or maybe just irritated about this Corona/Covid catastrophe.

I am, too. In fact, the whole world is feeling it! Not just our neighborhood, or our state, or our country, but the whole world has been affected by the upheaval.

Recently, I was surprised to find out just how much I have been affected by it. You see, I’m an optimist by nature. My favorite song is by Louie Armstrong, “What a Wonderful World”. My other favorite is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, so you can see how hopelessly hopeful I am.

When the lock downs first started, I was completely against it. Giving up freedom to any degree goes against the grain (it’s an American trait!). And although I wanted to kick and rebel and defy, I felt the Lord was telling me to sit down and be quiet. Unfortunately, if you look back on some of my news feed you will see that I wasn’t completely compliant with those orders either (but I have worked that out with Him).

After the 2 weeks turned into 3 weeks, my frustration kept peaking, but I could hear the Lord gently rebuking me with the verse found in Jeremiah 12:5 (loosely translated), “if the footmen tire you, how are you going to race against the horses?”

Day after day confusing reports filled the air. You heard it; conflicting reports about wearing masks, going out, staying in, keeping your distance, daily reports of people who “probably” died of Covid-19. But as it happens, things become “the normal”, and I began to settle into the benefits of being quarantined, with an occasional outburst of irritation to the Lord. (I’ll spare you the details).

Then something changed. My frustration became compassion, my irritation became empathy, and my occasional outbursts to the Lord about the world going crazy, became an endearing quest of seeking a deeper, intimate relationship with the God of the universe.

I can’t tell you everything that I have gone through, it would take too much time, but there will be evidences of this journey that you will see here, and if you know me personally, I hope you will also observe them in my every-day walk.

So, let me go back to the beginning: I know you are out there. You who are frustrated, irritated, anxious, fearful, upset, annoyed. But let me encourage you to stop listening to the flash-in-the-pan news flooding the airwaves, trying to get us all worked up. 

Instead, read your Bible. A Psalm a day, a Proverbs a day, the book of John or Romans – it doesn’t matter where you start.  There are 66 books to choose from, just pick one. 

Get into the Word and be encouraged. Work through a devotional or a gratitude journal. Or start a prayer list and pray often. Listen to preaching on the radio, instead of the constant drip, drip, drip of shock radio.

After God’s gentle rebuke to me a few weeks ago, He encouraged me with another verse which is found in Joshua 1:9:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

So, if this world and all that is happening has you confounded, I challenge you to not allow your heart to be troubled. If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, be encouraged by the fact that although this world is going through some crazy changes, we serve a God who never changes. And He cares for you like a mother hen cares for her chicks.

Be Strong and Courageous!