If there was ever a time when we needed a positive outlook on life, this is it. Each day, we hear discouraging news concerning this Corona Virus. It is like a haunting backdrop to our lives. Each of us can do all that we can do personally to ‘slow the spread’. Apart from that, what can we do to help ourselves and one another through this difficult life passage? If there is a silver lining in this pandemic cloud, what could it be?
To be sure, it is a thunder-cloud of pain and anxiety; it has showered the world with heartbreak. Still, amidst the shadows, the raindrops of sorrow, the veil of uncertainty, there is the constant, perpetual reminder that God is at work in our midst. His light is filtering through this veil to each of us; He has promised to be with us always, no matter what. And, He is.
Perhaps, one of the most beautiful witnesses to God’s love working through His people, has been in the hospitals where doctors and nurses work with Covid 19 patients. They hold their patient’s hands. They pray over the patients. They pray for one another. The ‘weight’ of prayer has been awesome. These prayers are like clouds in themselves; clouds that are carried to heaven day in and day out.
These doctors and nurses know that even in the midst of tragedy, there is reason for hope; they know God is with them and their patients. They know they do not walk this corridor of life alone; the light of Christ, the light of love for all people of every time and place, shines for them in the darkness.
Love is the most powerful force in the world. Love is a thing of God. When we focus on God, life is transformed. We ourselves are transformed. Clouds may rain down upon us, our hearts may be broken, but however ravaged, we endure. God is able to carry us when our feet no longer can. His angels minister to us when we cannot speak for ourselves. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we do not know how to pray.
If we can but focus, if we can train ourselves to see the hand of God in all things, we are ‘lifted up’ from whatever our present circumstances are. We may not immediately see a change in that circumstance, but it opens our minds to possibilities, to miracles, to revelations from God we could not entertain otherwise.
God is good. God is always good. He never changes. His mercy endures forever. We can trust in His promises because they never fail. When we cling to this hope, we see things more clearly; fear does not have the last word. God has the first and last word. And whatever God brings to a situation is a very good thing indeed. Romans 8:31: “What then shall we say of these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
In Proverbs 12:25, scripture reminds us that, “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” How blessed we are to share the good news of Easter with one another; how blessed we are to live in the light of our Risen Lord, who has overcome all the storm clouds of this world forever.
Miracles abound each and every day. We need only look at the miracle of a new-born baby, feel the silk in an ear of corn, watch the bees as they gather nectar beneath the April sun. Each breath we take is a miracle.
We must in these days keep our hearts and minds perpetually focused on God; God is always at work on our behalf. We must pray as scripture would ask of us to do…we must pray without ceasing.(1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18).
In this way we manifest the ‘cloud’ of believers sending up our prayers. We may be separated in our physical bodies, but spiritually we are a united front. We stand with all others who are in the battlefield working day in and day out against this virus; we stand with the sick; we stand with those already heaven-bound.
Hebrews 12:1 is one of my favorite bible verses. It speaks so clearly to us when we are downtrodden. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us, and the sin that so easily entangles us. And let us run the race marked out for us.”
Each morning we must begin anew. Dawn beckons and the birds begin their singing. The art of focusing our thoughts starts fresh with dawn’s first light…we choose to pray as the morning spreads out before us with endless possibilities. We focus on God’s masterpiece in creation and we praise His Holy Name. We know that deep within us His cords of love play within our beings…a personal love song composed for each one of us.
God calls us by name and we know He is pleased with our progress each day. We listen to the music that plays within our souls and we know that we can go on; we share this music with everyone we meet. And so, the race marked out for us is one that we can do. one step at a time, with the miraculous breath of God leading us on.
Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Our niece is a nurse, we are so proud of the work she is doing & the sacrifices she is making on behalf of us all. Knowing what she & others are doing each & every day, helps me to keep focused on the positives. I don’t always get it right but when I veer off course, God is there gently drawing me back.
Your niece is a blessing…I thank God for the people caring for the sick at this time. These ‘healers’ need our prayers. It is a job to stay positive given the situation we are all in. But, you are right…God keeps encouraging us every step of the way.
our medical supermarket and delivery people are doing amazing jobs … we should praise them every opportunity! Meanwhile our faith supports us 🙂
It is incredible what these people are doing! We are blessed with so many people working together to get through this difficult time.
absolutely, so we need to patient with and kind to them … some here are quite rude and there is no need 🙂
There is no excuse for that kind of rudeness. Kindness is key for everyone…especially now when people are under so much more stress.
but the anxiety and fear generated by our media and pollies is leaving so many fragile so they take it out on the few they do see ….
we need to turn off the news, breath deeply and take this opportunity to find our balance 🙂
You are so right Kate! We must take a step back, breathe deeply, and remember who we are. We have not changed all that much and we must cling to the very best part of ourselves. It is that self that finds hope, sees that God is at work in our midst, knows in the end that life though fragile, is immensely beautiful. All the moments of our days count, even those moments mixed with apprehension. Life is a precious gift; we must look for the light in our souls and reflect it…now, more than ever before.
now more than ever Linda, you got that right!
🙂 🙂 🙂
Thanks for this reminder, Linda! When we listen too much to the discouraging news (and personally, I find the political bickering the most discouraging of all) we do need to return our focus on God. That reminds us that we absolutely can get through this, and that there are so many things to be grateful for, even today!
You are exactly right, Ann. Politics is the saddest thing right now…the bickering is so awful. I always wish that people could be Americans first before their political party. If we look to the news, we will be beyond brokenhearted. Thankfully, God is about people, and not their political agenda.:) Only with God’s grace will there be any solace at all given the situation of this pandemic. Yes, we have so much to be thankful for…God’s abundant blessings are without end.
“The Dawn beckons…”. What a terrific truth to consider. Prayer pierces the darkness. So very glad. God’s grip – Alan
Yes, the dawn does beckon all of us in these days of so many shadows. It is the dawn within us that changes the tide of fear. It is the light of Christ within our souls that mitigates against the darkness. Prayer is everything.
Thank you for helping me see this, Linda, that the fight against this illness can be fought from so many angles, in different ways.
It is a vineyard alright, with work for each one of us. And if we busied ourselves doing what we should there’d be a lot less interfering and bickering.
There are so many angles and all of them matter. The important thing is being true to ourselves. God is at work in these times and that is the most important work of all. In the end, it has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with love and if we could give enough of it away in the worst of times. The vineyard is all about people and loving them the way God loves us. It is a time to embrace the principles of all we have been taught; we must have trust that God is there with us in the vineyard and we must do our part to help.(John 15:5-8) We are the branches; without Jesus we can do nothing.