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     COVID-19.  This is, indeed, a strange time.  It feels like the world has stopped turning and it is stuck someplace where we don’t want it to be.  It just stopped.  Nothing is right.  Nothing is the same.  We just want it to start turning again and be normal.  For most of us, our only connections to people outside our own homes are our cell phone, social media and our TV.    We take our morning shower and yet, there is nowhere to go.  For many of us, no work unless we are lucky enough to work from home.  Many of us will not get a paycheck this week and yet, we have things like food for our family that we still need to purchase.  Many of us have children and yet, there is no school for them to go to.  Many of us have churches and yet, even they are silent.  We have been told not to leave our houses and, if we do, to stay at least six feet away from any person we see.  No hugs, no kisses, not even handshakes.  A very empty feeling living on this earth at this time.  None of us can even remember a time like this. 

     Then there are those people who do have to be brave enough to go to work, people like the grocery cashiers and stockers, gas station attendants, take-out food employees.  They may be happy to still have a job, yet they go out praying they do not bring home the deadly virus to their families.  This is also true of all our First Responders:  doctors, nurses, paramedics, firemen, policemen.  They must wonder if they are sacrificing themselves or their families as some of them like doctors, nurses, and paramedics face the virus up close and personal.  They could be bringing it home any day.  And they must find a safe place to leave their children to be cared for in their absence.  Such a sacrifice they are making for all of us!

     Then there are those of us who are brave enough go out anyways just to try to help our fellow human beings.  We can give blood, help give away food to those who need it, deliver things to vulnerable people who really must not leave their house.  What sacrifices!  We can watch the children of the brave souls who are out there fighting the battle whether by choice or by the demands of their job.  There are still Christian acts we can perform while our world has stopped.  We can write notes to those people shut in nursing homes that are closed to visitors.  Most important, we can pray to our Lord for help.  Every single one of us should be spending time in prayer for the brave souls out there on the battlefront as well as for ourselves.  For this is a war.  A war against evil spelled COVID-19.

     The virus COVID-19 has caused us to live like this to prevent even more deaths from this deadly virus.  Some of us wonder if all the sacrifices will be worth it.  Some of us even wonder if our God has forgotten us by letting this evil take over the world.  But, take heart, our gracious God has not forgotten us or let us down.  He is still in control.  He’s got this.  He will be by our side every minute of this dark time.  He will not forsake us.  We will win this battle.  It may take, in fact will probably take, all of the fight we have in us, but we will win, and our God will lead us to victory over this terrible evil.  Listen to His words: 

“Never will I leave you;

Never will I forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

“It is God who arms me with strength

 and keeps my way secure.”

2 Samuel 22:33

“The Lord Himself goes before

you and will be with you; He will

never leave you nor forsake you.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

     If you are worried, if you are nervous or anxious, read your Bible.  Please read your Bible!  Our good and gracious God has promised us again and again that He will always be there for us.

     Please pray!  Pray for the brave souls fighting for us and pray for yourself.  Thank the Lord we have such good people in  our world.  And ask Him to protect us all from the ravages of the COVID-19 virus!

     God bless you and your family and thank you for whatever you are doing to help with this battle.  Keep praying for all of us!

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