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     Who would have thought that amidst this COVID-19 crisis, the Lord could have filled my heart with such abundant joy?   But right now, I am bursting with joy amidst the sorrow of this battle.

     Every time I turn on the news it seems I hear another story of “love for thy neighbor”.  I hear stories time after time of neighbors reaching out to help those less fortunate than them and facing the danger of going out amidst our “Stay at Home” directive.  People are searching for ways to help.  They will shop for those who are too vulnerable to go out, pick up prescriptions, run errands, anything they can do to help.  Food banks are holding drive thru give aways of food donated by restaurants.  Banks are granting leniency on payments due when so many people are out of work.  They are just asking you to call the bank if you are out of work due to COVID-19 and they will help you.  Corporations are changing production lines to manufacture personal protective equipment and ventilators, all of which are needed so desperately.  Rent is due today (April 1) and many landlords (if they can afford it) are granting leniency.  Laws have been passed in many states preventing eviction at this time.  There are too many examples for me to list them all, but they fill my heart with joy that as a society we have not forgotten how much we can help each other in our time of need.

      And families are spending time together again.  Some parents are working from home or, unfortunately, out of work.  Children cannot go to school except online.  Families are sitting down to meals together, something their busy schedules may not have allowed with work, school, sports and other activities.  God has blessed them with time together that they may never have had.  They can work and play together.

     And then there are our health care professionals and emergency workers facing danger who keep fighting on to take care of the COVID-19 patients in spite  of the danger to themselves and their loved ones whom they do not want to bring the virus home to.

     Our country is uniting in wanting to take care of each other.  And this is after all the divisiveness we’ve had in recent years that has left people weary and hopeless.  God must have had a hand in this.  We know the Holy Spirit is hard at work.  And we still face a great battle and we must pray faithfully every day to overcome the COVID-19 virus and not let it take our loved ones.

     I just had to share the joy that has filled me watching people loving their neighbor and helping them through this battle.  It’s been so long since I could turn the news on and hear good news of people helping people.  It’s such a change from the normal news of shootings and other evil things.  Yes, we still hear the bad news of what the COVID-19 virus is doing to us, but at least it’s followed by stories of heroic deeds of people just like you and me stepping out to help their neighbor.

     Keep praying but keep a little corner of your heart to be filled with happiness at what is happening out there … people loving and caring for their family and neighbor just as Jesus asked us to do.  And we know it’s what He would have done.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.”

Romans 12:12-13