It's been a while since I've posted here, but rather than make a long post on Facebook, I thought I'd revisit the ol' blog. God really placed this on my heart to share, so I felt I needed to be obedient.
I honestly believe this time of 'quarantine' serves a deeper purpose. A.W. Tozer said, "While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who hasn't surrendered His authority." To put this into context, the Monday night, I woke up every hour all night long; I kept having terrible dreams of people I know dying, people fighting over out-of-stock items, or myself being on a ventilator unable to breathe. It was horrible, but then I saw the quote above on Tuesday. I've slept like a baby ever since.
You see, this time is scary, it's unique, and it's worrisome. We're living a situation most of us have never witnessed. We're not supposed to go out of our homes unless absolutely necessary, schools are closed, restaurants only serve to-go meals, and malls are empty. I've always joked that I'd love a job I could do from home, but I never imagined I'd actually be teaching for an extended period of time from the comfort of my own home.
Yesterday, while I was working I felt the Lord tell me to pray. I kind of brushed it off, since I was in the middle of emailing some parents, but I couldn't focus on what I was doing. Then I felt it again, but this time I felt the urge to get down on my knees and pray. I'm ashamed to admit that I've not gotten down on my knees to pray since I graduated college when I knew I was called abroad to serve, but I really didn't know how to get there...that's been over 10 years ago. I was hesitant at first, but I did it.
I started not even knowing what to pray for. I prayed for those who are sick, I prayed for those who will become sick. I prayed for protection over my loved ones and friends, and I prayed for our leaders to know how to handle this unique situation. I prayed for my students and their families, too. Then the words just started flowing...I prayed for an opportunity. An opportunity for what? I'm not sure, but I knew God wanted me to pray to be an instrument of Light during this time. By this point, I knew this was the reason I was on my knees in prayer.
Javier and I have spent the last two afternoons outside working on the lawn, pulling up the weeds and mulch from the flowerbeds, and freshening up our outdoor space. This time outside has allowed us to connect with some of our neighbors because everyone who walks by wants to see our dog, Orejas.
Then today it happened. The older gentleman across the street was outside mowing his lawn. I could tell he was struggling as he was going slowly and stopping every few feet. I looked at Javier, and I told him he needed to go help the man, so he hesitantly went over and offered to finish mowing for him. While Javier mowed, the man called me over to see if he could pet Orejas, so I took the dog over for a bit. We talked, and I learned this man 63-year-old man lives alone, his children are far away, and he suffered a heart attack 2 weeks ago. He should not have been mowing his lawn, but he knew it needed done, so he thought if he went slow, he'd be fine. While Javier mowed, I shared a little of my testimony...living in Peru, being a missionary, teaching, how Javier and I met, how we ended up in NC, etc.
Mind you, Javier and I were supposed to go to Florida this weekend to see his "parents" from Canada, but with COVID-19 running rampant, that trip got canceled. Had we gone, we might not have had the opportunity we had today.
I'm confident, God has a bigger plan for this time of "quarantine". I firmly believe this is a time for neighbors to help one another, families to come together, churches to grow deeper in His word and more (all while keeping an appropriate physical distance). It's time for the church to be the church and rise up to help one another.
Our church in Peru is having daily prayer times, our church here is live streaming services, and I know other churches are reaching the community in their own ways, too. It's time to stop talking about attending church on Sunday, but it's time to rise up and show the love of Christ to those around us every day.
God already knew COVID-19 would happen before it did. He knew it would spread like wildfire among all nations and peoples, and He has a plan behind it, too. Don't waste this precious opportunity to be the Light to someone else.
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