What a surreal week. Suddenly, all the schools in our state are canceled, meetings and appointments are falling off my calendar in clusters, and someone just very firmly tented his hands in front of his chest and nodded his head rather than shaking hands. I don’t know enough to take a side on the response, except to agree that we all need to keep in mind that those who are most vulnerable to this virus are worth every precaution we can each reasonably take to stem the tide.
In general, I tend to be quite an optimist and certainly don’t have any prepper-leanings. (Some people will criticize me for that, and that’s just fine; I can appreciate your position without adopting it.) However, I have felt my normally-pretty-casual-and-calm-bordering-on-pollyanna self starting to worry and fret. Yesterday, I watched a woman buy a grocery cart full of toilet paper and then load it into the back of a mini van already full of toilet paper. Honestly, that amount of toilet paper would stock most houses for a year. I can’t imagine what would be happening if Covid-19 included diarrhea as a symptom. No judgement here, though because as she was loading up on toilet paper, I suddenly wanted to buy up all the Dr Zevia and Boom-Chicka-Pop I could find. As today wore on, I have found myself beginning to really fret about the financial impact on the economy –and then worrying if I should be worrying more.
Instead of dwelling there, I am taking tHis moment to remind myself that this moment hasn’t caught God by surprise. This moment, every moment, is His moment. Even though sin and brokenness are not His plan for us, His plan has always made provision for sin and brokenness. His plan uses sin and brokenness. As believers, we have seen that born out in scripture and in our lives over and again, but it is always easier to see it in retrospect. In the moment we need friends and family and mentors to remind us to have faith, to take courage, to not be afraid.
In tHis moment, people are falling in love and people are finding joy. In tHis moment, people face cancer and people are being healed. In tHis moment, babies are being born and families are being forged. In tHis moment, kids are celebrating the unexpected break from normal school routines and parents are scrambling to figure out how to manage having kids with no classes. In tHis moment, people are hurt and need help; in tHis moment we have love and aid to give.
In tHis moment, He is with us. In tHis moment, He is working. In tHis moment, we are called to be fully present, seeking joy, loving those around us, doing whatever we can to His glory.
Let’s live tHis moment with the assurance that this is His moment. I’ll remind you and you remind me.
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