The news reports keep changing. Groups larger than 250 were not allowed to meet. Then that number was reduced to 50 and in some areas, it’s down to 10. Stores are out of groceries, and medicines may become in short supply. Where does it stop? We’ve become a nation filled with fear.
Fear by itself is not always a bad thing. It’s an innate feeling that cautions us against unexpected danger. It has the power to fill us with adrenaline to lift an object well past our own weight, or run into a burning building to rescue the child we knew was still in there. It’s a basic survival instinct; until it’s not.
For some, however, the normal ration of fear turns into an obsession, that becomes a slavery of paralyzing panic and dread. A person can be so consumed by their fear, their rational thinking is skewed and all senses are driven by their distress. When this happens, it’s often called a phobia.
I was reading this week and came across the story about a woman who became afraid of large spaces. Her fear drove her to close the door to her home without ever wanting to go outside, even for a walk. She only emerged three times during thirty years. I can’t even imagine such a life.
Others who have shared their stories of times in their lives when fear was threatening to suffocate them, said they wished life had a pause button. A button that would stop the insanity and allow them to think clearly so they could respond adequately and with right motives. But life isn’t like that. Regardless of what we are facing, moments continue to pass. Minutes turn into hours; hours into days, then into weeks, months and years. Life does not stop because our minds and heart –and heartbreaks—are fragile and hurting.
Where does this leave us? It leaves us crying out to the God in the heavens. My husband tells the story of soldiers he fought with in Viet Nam who said they were atheists. Yet, when the shells came rolling in, blowing everything up in its path, that same soldier was saying, “Oh my God! Please help me!”
Now that said, many people use the expression “Oh, my God,” in a profane way. That’s so sad. They don’t realize they are calling on the one true God in the universe with one breath and then ignoring Him in the next. It is irreverent and uses his name in vain. It’s a habit many people have and don’t give it a thought!
As we deal with all the dark news of our times, at this moment, it’s hard to stay positive. Regardless, God is in control. He knows the beginning from the end; is not surprised by this at all; and will in some way, use all this ‘bad’ for his good purpose. That doesn’t “help” us necessarily to get through it. It’s tough when people are dying across the world, near you or even in your family. It’s hard and many are suffering because of it.
But life goes on. There is no stopping it. There is no pause button. The sun will still shine, the grass (since Spring is here) will turn green, flowers will bloom in full color and crops will grow as new babies are born and we all age one day at a time.
So I encourage you to live in hope, instead of desperation. We are traveling rough roads, albeit with lots of rocks to climb over. But we will get there. It will get better and the more we believe that, and have faith that it’s true, the happier our hearts will be.
Picture credit: https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/coronavirus?mediatype=photography&phrase=coronavirus&sort=mostpopular
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